This downtown Myrtle Beach Church is tearing down the building. Opening new parking
As downtown Myrtle Beach needs more parking to address locals and visitors alike, one church is knocking down one of its old buildings and replacing it with a parking lot.
First United Methodist Church Administrator Greg Clemmons said the ground-level lot will have 70 parking spots. The church is replacing the former bus station on its property next to the Hair By Midtown barbershop, which Clemmons said had fallen into disrepair and had been empty since July 2023.
The building, which the church owns, according to Horry County Land Records, is having asbestos removed, but Clemmons said he wasn’t sure when the church would finish the project. He also said the church is considering whether to make the lot paid or free parking.
Clemmons added that First United Methodist Church voted to tear down the former bus station and convert it into a parking lot in 1995, almost 30 years before.
“That building was in bad shape,” Clemmons said. “(It) cost us more money than it was worth.”
One possibility is that the church is considering making parking open to vacationers and other downtown visitors. Clemmons added that the church is in talks with the City of Myrtle Beach about letting it use the parking lot, although the two sides haven’t reached a deal yet.
“We’re a downtown church; we want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem,” he said.
The new lot comes as Myrtle Beach currently faces a parking shortage, partly due to a lack of space that city officials acknowledge. Director of Public Information for the City of Myrtle Beach Mark Kruea said new parking is part of the ongoing Arts & Innovation District plan, which will be incorporated into some of the bigger buildings within the proposal.
Kruea also said the city is adding new spots at the intersection of Sixth Avenue North and Oak Street after completing infrastructure work within the area.
This story was originally published April 8, 2024 at 12:32 PM.
