Myrtle Beach restaurant forced to move was offered $50K months ago to help cover costs

A downtown Myrtle Beach restaurant being forced to move out as part of a taxpayer-funded road improvement project was offered nearly $100,000 by the state Department of Transportation in May to help cover relocation costs

Black Thai Restaurant and Lounge at 710 Main St. has until Dec. 22 to clear out of the space. The business has yet to announce whether it plans to open elsewhere. Attempts to contact Black Thai’s managers via email and phone have not been successful.

The building is being razed to accommodate a $14 million realignment of U.S. Highway 501 from Broadway to 7th Ave. N — one of 20 projects being funded through RIDE III, a penny sales tax initiative approved by voters in 2016.

Black Thai received a May 10 2022 letter from engineering firm Michael Baker International explaining reimbursement and compensation option to help offset moving costs.

S.C. DOT spokesman Pete Poore provided The Sun News with a copy of the six-page document.

Black Thai’s management could not immediately be reached for comment, but the restaurant’s voicemail confirms its pending move.

“Unfortunately, we are dealing with the department of transportation trying to bulldoze our building, so we are closed for the time being while we figure this out,” the message says.

County property records show the building has a total market value of $111,900 and is owned by Myra Starnes, a landlord and business owner best known for founding the Dickens Christmas Show through her Leisure Time Unlimited brand.

Starnes wasn’t available for comment Dec. 2, a Leisure Time Unlimited employee said. Poore said earlier this week S.C. DOT pays “fair market value” to displaced property owners and offers additional incentives to tenants.

In addition to receiving up to $50,000 for “re-establishment expenses” to be used on things like new signage, building repairs, equipment installation and utility fees, the restaurant is also eligible for up an extra $40,000 in moving costs.

County property records show the building is owned by Myra Starnes, a landlord and business owner best known for founding the Dickens Christmas Show through her Leisure Time Unlimited brand.

County property records show the building has a total market value of $111,900.

Poore said in an email earlier this week S.C. DOT works closely with displaced property owners when necessary.

“SCDOT negotiates directly with property owners and pays fair market value for acquired properties. In the event that an agreement between parties is not reached — the courts decide fair market value,” he said in an email. “In addition to paying the owner fair market value for the property, SCDOT offers additional relocation assistance for tenants.”

According to a RIDE III dashboard, right-of-way acquisitions are currently underway for the project. No construction date has been provided. The proposed project is expected to provide numerous upgrades for the area, according to Horry County’s website:

• Replacement of a skewed U.S Highway 501 southern approach at Broadway with a more direct alignment to improve lane assignments and traffic flow.
• Combining three intersections into one to reduce congestion resulting from closely spaced intersections
• Improving driver guidance at several locations by replacing unconventional routing with a more traditional, grid-like system Improving pedestrian accessibility with more dedicated crosswalks and pedestrian routes Improving use of space by allowing existing U.S. Highway 501 to be repurposed under a separate project.
• Reconstruction of an existing section of U.S. Highway 501 to accommodate pedestrian access, green space, parking, redevelopment and other uses.

This story was originally published December 3, 2022 at 6:00 AM.