Dollar General stays, $25M healthcare facility plan in Conway scrapped

A planned $25 million healthcare facility along one of Conway’s busiest stretches has been scuttled — at least for now — following tough questions by city leaders about its financing and zoning.

Shortly before the City Council on Monday was set to consider a rezoning request for 4.9 acres off Fourth Avenue, Healthcare Partners of South Carolina withdrew its application.

“Out of respect for the city’s comprehensive plan, we have decided to rescind our rezoning request in order to re-evaluate the best approach for all parties involved moving forward,” said Jim Eubanks, CEO of Health Care Partners of South Carolina, the company behind the proposed healthcare facility, told the Horry Independent. “Health Care Partners of South Carolina is still fully committed to seeing this project come to fruition.”

The Sun News could not immediately reach Eubanks for comment.

Eubanks and his team wanted to convert an outdated shopping center into a modern health care hub, in the process relocating an on-site Dollar General to land across the street.

Project managers were also asking the city to shift zoning from “core commercial” to the much less restrictive “highway commercial,” which allows parking in front of buildings.

The city’s planning commission on April 7 initially recommended approval of the venture but reversed course April 25 following a heated City Council that focused on long-term development goals for a part of Conway that’s key to its downtown expansion.

“Part of our job is to look very long term, and when ideals are set in place so we can reach it, that might mean that we have to say ‘no’ to some things, and it might mean that it’s grueling,” Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy said during an April 19 City Council meeting.

Councilman William Goldfinch emphasized the point May 2, holding up a photograph showing an aerial view of the down from the 1960s.

“At some point, people that sat in these seats had a longer term vision and drafted ordinances that required you do things a certain way,” he said. “I think we can certainly look at this picture and most of downtown Conway today and realize that was true. We can all agree that working with people is what we need to do, and I think their decision to (withdraw) gives us the time to do that.”

This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 12:00 AM.