'I think this is a tough thing': MB council discusses fate of performance arts center

The fate of a voter-approved performance arts center in the City of Myrtle Beach could be in jeopardy after Myrtle Beach City Council members discussed their options during a two-day budget retreat.

With a focus aimed at downtown redevelopment and a possible partnership with Coastal Carolina University, officials debated whether or not a performance arts center should be built near the convention center — a debate that has been happening for almost 15 years.

The center, a project that was first talked about by city council in the early 2000s, would combine a performance arts center with an amphitheater alongside the convention center.

"At this point it sounds to me as though the option is impractical due to finances, due to timing and then due to changes in the development plan and that you are now refocusing your performing arts center in the Superblock area in partnership with CCU," city spokesman Mark Kruea said.

However, after talks with CCU, a new partnership could bring a university run performing arts center into the heart of Myrtle Beach.

In January, officials from the school spoke at a city council meeting where they suggested moving their facility from 79th Avenue into 811 Main Street.

Neither party has committed to a deal yet, but CCU officials want a facility that could seat 250 people.

During the budget retreat, council members suggested a compromise with the school for a facility that would be more than 250 seats, but less than 850.

"I think this is a tough thing, I think a performing arts center would be a great thing for us to have in this community," Myrtle Beach City Manager John Pedersen said.

Pedersen said that CCU would operate the potential facility, which would alleviate operating costs for the city.

In 2014, Pedersen presented to council that the City of Myrtle Beach and the arts community could share more than $436,000 operating budget of a proposed performing arts center over a five-year period, with the city providing the bulk of the money.

"Everything we’ve talked about council has not made a final decision on," Pedersen said.

The road so far

The idea of a performance arts center has been tossed around for almost 15 years. After the Myrtle Beach Performing Arts Center’s board of directors were unable to raise nearly $2.5 million to partially fund the center's construction with help from the city, board members asked council to completely fund the project.

In 2013, city council voted to put the decision up for referendum, given the possibility of raising property taxes to fund the nearly $10 million project.

At the time, nearly 54 percent of residents voted in favor of tax raises and approved the purchase of $10 million in bonds for the center. However, the bonds have a five-year time limit, which is up this year.

In order to pay for the bonds in 2014, council said they would have to raise property taxes. However, in 2014 members searched for options that would lessen the tax burden on property owners.

"I would love to have a performing arts center, I just don’t know that this bond is the right way to get it," councilman Gregg Smith said. "I think we’re going to have to figure out a different way to build that."

In 2015, plans for the project changed, suggested the facility would house 700 seats.

Now, Pedersen said that while city council decides on the center, performances can be held at Myrtle Beach High School or on CCU's campus in Conway.

"The value of a performance arts center being located downtown is it give people other things to do," Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune said.

"I think what we lose, especially at the high school, is they can’t serve wine," she said, suggesting that people are unable to go to restaurants before or after a show for dinner or dessert. "I’ve even heard from the symphony is it loses the ambiance by going to see they symphony play at the high school," she said.

This story was originally published April 18, 2018 at 3:55 PM with the headline "'I think this is a tough thing': MB council discusses fate of performance arts center."