Myrtle Beach to add 3 oceanfront volleyball courts

Three new beach volleyball courts are coming to the existing collection of oceanfront courts between Eighth and Ninth avenues North.

The courts will be paid for with $25,000 from the city’s sales tax revenue, fueled by the additional 1 percent tax that typically goes to fund outside advertising of Myrtle Beach by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. Revenue from the tax also offsets property taxes for owners who are permanent residents.

“This is money that came in above our budget estimate,” City Manager John Pedersen said at the city council’s workshop Tuesday morning.

Lauren Clever, an executive assistant with the Downtown Redevelopment Corp., said business owners and local volleyball players enjoy the existing courts. “We’ve hosted a number of events that have volleyball tournaments, and always get asked if there is an option to expand them,” she said.

Construction on the courts will begin this week. Councilman Wayne Gray said at the workshop that the courts will take “about three weeks to build.”

This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Myrtle Beach to add 3 oceanfront volleyball courts."