Sign comes down at ‘Bunny Ranch,’ demolition a few months away

Myrtle Beach has begun taking steps toward ridding the corner of U.S. Highway 501 and Third Avenue South of what’s been called an “eyesore” in what was known as “The Bunny Ranch” strip club.

It could take as long as a few months before the city is able to demolish the entire building, which it became owners of Friday through an alleyway swap program.

City staff on Monday took down signage on the awning at one of the city’s major entryways that read “The Bunny Ranch” and “girls, girls, girls” as well as having a crew take an asbestos survey.

City Manager John Pedersen said crews also will take down the metal that was holding the awning as well as a small freestanding sign that is blank on one side and reads “The Pink Pussycat Club” on the other.

Pedersen said Monday afternoon that he did not yet know if there was asbestos in the building, but suspected that there was.

City staff will turn the survey in to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control for review. DHEC is expected to issue an asbestos abatement permit, which would then allow for demolition of the property.

“As soon as we can work through the process, we will move to demolish that property,” Pedersen said. “If we can move it up faster [than a few months], we will.”

The property has been beyond the city’s control because it is in a “doughnut hole” and sat in the county’s jurisdiction.

The city acquired the .36-acre property that had been purchased by the owners of the oceanfront Sea Captain’s House restaurant at 30th Avenue North in exchange for the .06-acre alley just south of the restaurant between it and the Caribbean Resort and Villas.

Pedersen said the city is considering landscaping to go in place of the club once it is down.

This story was originally published September 1, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Sign comes down at ‘Bunny Ranch,’ demolition a few months away."