Two new Horry County schools possibly delayed

Two of the five new Horry County Schools may not be completed by August 2017.

First Floor Energy Positive – who is contracted to build all five schools – projects the completion date for the new Myrtle Beach and Socastee middle schools as September 2017, one month later than the original promised opening date.

Robbie Ferris, CEO of First Floor, said the delays stem from stalled demolition of a now-empty building and slow acquisition of land permits.

Ferris said he’s still working to have the new schools open in time for the school year.

“We still believe we can finish it in time for you to occupy it in 2017,” Ferris said.

The district’s facilities committee met Monday to hear construction updates from Ferris and ask any questions about the five new school sites. District staff referred all questions to Joe DeFeo, chairman of the Board of Education, who said he’s not too worried about the Myrtle Beach site.

“First Floor gave themselves enough wiggle room to deal with any delays on that site,” DeFeo said. “I’m not too worried about it.”

The new Socastee middle school site, however, does concern DeFeo. Since the land – located behind Sayebrook West near S.C. 544 and U.S. 17 Bypass intersection – isn’t officially purchased yet, First Floor can’t clear or prep the area for construction. Until all the paperwork is signed, site work is at a standstill.

DeFeo said that although he thinks both schools should be finished in time, a later opening date wouldn’t be “the end of the world” for the district.

“Nothing would change; the schools would just be overcrowded for a month longer,” he said. “It’s not the worst thing that could happen.”

As of Monday, Ferris said he’s received land disturbance permits for three school sites and Department of Transportation approval for Carolina Forest, Socastee Elementary, St. James Intermediate and Myrtle Beach Middle schools. First Floor has submitted final site plans for four schools to the state’s Office of School Facilities and is waiting on final approval.

First Floor received approval from the Myrtle Beach Community Appearance Board on the new middle school, Ferris said, but other troubles are slowing down progress.

The Myrtle Beach Family Learning Center – located on Oak Street – is still standing and First Floor is responsible for the demolition, DeFeo said. The Myrtle Beach middle school delay stems from an earlier problem: relocating the center’s residents.

“We knew we were building the schools, so why did the district wait to so long to get them out?” DeFeo said.

The district spent several months debating what to do with the seven programs who called the Learning Center home, and staff finally settled on relocating only district-sponsored programs. The Boys and Girls Club, Waccamaw EOC Head Start, Horry County Literacy Council and Baby Net – part of the First Steps program that helps developmentally delayed infants – along with other programs were not relocated by the district.

The Adult Education Center relocated the Myrtle Beach campus of Horry Georgetown Technical College earlier this year.

DeFeo said the board could have told district staff to move the center’s residents sooner, but he didn’t want to seem “like a micromanager.” He said, looking back, he should have taken a more direct approach.

“I would have micromanaged that move in a heartbeat,” DeFeo said.

The other three schools are on track for a May 2017 opening date, Ferris said, with time built in for weather delays.

Crews at the Carolina Forest middle site have already started placing rebar and foundation, and the St. James intermediate site has a new access road and building pad. Crews at the Socastee elementary site have cleared land are are preparing the area for construction, Ferris said.

The total cost of all five new schools is $240 million, which is $72 million over the original budget.

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Two new Horry County schools possibly delayed."