Plans to bring a waterfront apartment complex to downtown Conway could finally happen
A new waterfront apartment complex and shopping center is one step closer to being built in downtown Conway.
The property it will potentially be built on, located on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Kingston Street, faces Kingston Lake, which feeds into the Waccamaw River. The idea of putting an apartment complex on this site has been discussed for over a decade and was included in a 2017 Downtown Conway redevelopment plan.
Now, the City of Conway is considering partnering with Kingston Redevelopment LLC to finally build a multi-story structure. Conway Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy said getting this project started is exciting for the city.
“It’s been long awaited and I think it will be tremendous improvement to downtown,” Blain-Bellamy said.
City Administrator Adam Emrick said talks are still underway and there is no set timeline for construction, but completing the structure would accomplish the city’s goal of putting more housing in the downtown area.
In total, 36 two-bedroom apartments would be included in the complex. The bottom level would have space for stores and parking.
“It ticks a lot of the boxes we’ve been looking for,” Emrick said.
In terms of the threat of flooding, Emrick said Hurricane Florence waters touched only a corner of the site, which is not in a flood zone. During the construction phase, the complex would be leveled off to put it above where waters reached during the 2018 flood, he said.
Some logistical matters will need to be addressed before a timeline for construction could be put in place. Emrick hopes to iron out the details of what parts of the project Conway and the developer will be responsible for soon so that work can begin.
The land itself is public, but the development would be done by a private company. Emrick said the city wants to take its time and make sure everything is done properly.
“We just want to make sure we’re being the best stewards of public property,” Emrick said. “We’re not going to move faster than we should.”
This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 7:21 PM.
