Parking increases and new pier restaurants. Here’s whats driving Surfside Beach changes.

A re-imagined Surfside Beach pier should be a hub of retail and dining options for visitors and residents alike, with spots for fishing and vendors mixed in, possibly turning the hurricane-ravaged landmark into the Grand Strand’s newest shopping mecca.

Those are the findings of a newly appointed advisory group working with the town on revitalizing the landmark Surfside Pier, a landmark 800-foot walkway that was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

“We want to take the business recommendations that develop the best financial situation for the town and its residents,” said Robert Krouse, chairman of the town’s pier committee, said May 25. “We wanted to get input from people that live here and the people that visit here and really see how they want to use the pier.”

But the promise of new economic activity on Surfside Beach’s pier could mean more parking revenue and commercial development on surrounding properties.

As the pier work continues, motorists looking to park near it will start paying for it. A new policy that took affect June 1 put meters at all beach access points. Officials also converted one-hour parking along Surfside Drive from Hollywood to Pinewood drives to paid.

An April survey posted through the town’s website — which generated a record number of responses — found residents and potential vacationers overwhelmingly wanted a pier lined with multiple shopping and dining options, but without any sort of admission to access the structure.

Councilman Paul Holder said May 25 the town needs to consider its own expenses in running a pier such as running power through it and maintenance before voting on whether to assess a fee for users. The committee has not made a recommendation on that issue yet, but are expected to so do later this summer.

“It’s easy to say you want it free. It’s easy for all of us to say that,” he said May 25.

With $15 million in FEMA aid ready to pay for the work, the town of under 5,000 that thrives on beach visitors expects its pier to be fully built out with retail establishments by 2023, although patrons should be able to start walking on it by October.

A new construction design will include wooden planking than can be washed away during storm surges without compromising the pier’s structural integrity.

Interest already appears high for a commercialized pier. In April, 10 businesses submitted bids to open there, split between retail and dining choices.

In documents supporting the town’s solicitation for would-be businesses, officials played up the region’s explosive growth. Just in the third quarter of 2021, collected almost $300 million worth of sales. And Travel + Leisure named Surfside’s beach one of the state’s 13 best a year earlier.

As part of their research, committee members visited Lowcountry piers in Folly Beach and Mount Pleasant — both of which are popular tourist attractions but also are subsidized by public dollars have run at cumulative six figure losses over the past six years.

That element is significant, as the committee suggested Surfside Beach limit its involvement when it comes to profiting from a newly expanded pier.

This story was originally published June 4, 2022 at 5:00 AM.