There’s new construction in Carolina Forest. Here’s what development will open there
A development project in Carolina Forest will bring a new business to an already expanding area.
Site work started on a small plot of land in the Marketplace at the Mill shopping area, next to the Slim Chickens restaurant at 135 Sapwood Drive, which opened in 2024. The land was previously an empty grass field, but it is now covered in dirt, preparing for construction. A fence encloses the property.
The work is for a new bank set to open at the location. According to Horry County Land Records, JPMorgan Chase Bank bought the property for $1.8 million in November 2024 and received a permit for a new Chase Bank in October 2024.
A spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase emailed The Sun News to say that the bank will open in October 2025. The 3,333-square-foot branch will have home lending specialists, a private client banker, ATMs and other services.
While it won’t be the only bank near the intersection of River Oaks Drive and Carolina Forest Boulevard, the area has grown in recent years.
In July 2023, a new Valvoline and 7-Eleven convenience store opened in the same Marketplace at the Mill area. Meanwhile, the Westlake Commons retail spaces along River Oaks Drive completed a new five-unit strip mall and began leasing tenants in 2024.
International Drive in Carolina Forest has also seen activity recently. In addition to a new Cook Out opening there in 2024, developers began work on a new strip mall with a multi-floor restaurant in 2023. The project will cost between $7-8 million to complete and will reside across from International Drive, where a storage facility is under construction.
