Myrtle Beach’s historic Sea Nymph Motel demolished as part of downtown redevelopment

A Myrtle Beach motel built in the 1960s was pulled to the ground Monday as part of a multi-million dollar downtown redevelopment plan.

Crews spent much of the day at 601 N. Ocean Boulevard dismantling the 55-year-old Sea Nymph Motel — one of 10 properties purchased by city leaders last year as part of a $15 million land buy.

Later this month, the former Fountainbleau Inn at nearby 701 Flagg St. will be flattened as well, at a combined cost of $174,500 to bring them both down.

“At some point, we have to take leadership positions; we have to quit waiting on people to do the next big thing for us,” assistant city manager Brian Tucker said during a Dec. 14 City Council meeting where the property acquisitions were approved. “This is our effort at taking the lead on redevelopment.”

Myrtle Beach has an ambitious plan for its future, including construction of a library and theatre and roadway improvements.

Properties like the Sea Nymph stand in the way of that, officials said. Between 2018 and 2021, police responded to the site more than 350 times. And beyond that, it’s unsafe.

A recent inspection by Little River-based Gregory Hunt Builders estimated it would take at least $1.2 million to even bring the Sea Nymph up to modern code.