Myrtle Beach Boardwalk

The '''Myrtle Beach Boardwalk & Promenade''', located in [[Myrtle Beach, South Carolina]], officially opened in May 2010 at a cost of nearly $6.4 million and runs {{convert|1.2|mi|km}} along the oceanfront from the Pier 14 at 14th Avenue North to the 2nd Avenue Pier at 2nd Avenue North. ''[[National Geographic]]'' has ranked Myrtle Beach Boardwalk number three in the United States, while ''[[Travel and Leisure]]'' ranked the boardwalk number two. ==Description== The northern section, with a raised wooden deck design, runs from Pier 14 to [[Gay Dolphin Gift Cove#Honoring the store's co-founder|Plyler Park]], the location of "Hot Summer Nights", with live music twice a week during the summer, and weekly attractions that include a "Kids [[Fair|Carnival]]", [[bagpipes]], and a [[Dixieland]] band. The middle section, from Plyler Park to the former site of [[Myrtle Beach Pavilion]], has "a carnival atmosphere accompanied by restaurants, bars and gift shops". The Southern Promenade, from the former Pavilion to 2nd Avenue Pier, city officials describe as a "meandering oceanfront park" with benches and landscaping. The 2nd Avenue Pier is the location of weekly [[fireworks]]. The contractor responsible for constructing the MB Boardwalk Project is M.B. Kahn Construction Co., Inc., according to city officials, used close to 770,000 [[Board foot|board-feet]] of [[lumber]], 555,000 [[screw]]s, and 300,000 [[nail]]s. The city contributed 600 [[palmetto]] trees and 50,000 [[beach grass]] seedlings. ==National attention== Even during the boardwalk's construction, the national media showed interest in the boardwalk. [[CBS]]' ''[[The Early Show]]'', including [[meteorologist]] [[Dave Price]], broadcast live on May 14, 2010, the weekend of the official opening. Team Sandtastic made a [[Sand art and play|sand sculpture]] of Price. Also, ''[[Cake Boss]]'' Buddy Valastro from [[TLC (TV channel)|TLC]] helped produce a 10-foot 1200-pound [[cake]] in the shape of a [[Flip-flops|flip-flop]], made in [[Hoboken, New Jersey]] and delivered to the May opening ceremony. The episode aired October 25, 2010. ''[[Travel and Leisure]]'' named Myrtle Beach Boardwalk the number two boardwalk mainly because of the entertainers, and ''[[The Today Show]]'' featured the report. On July 14, 2010, ''National Geographic'' ranked the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk behind the [[boardwalk]]s at [[Atlantic City]] and [[Coney Island]], and calling it "the town's hub of activity". Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce president Brad Dean estimated that publicity resulting from the boardwalk reached the equivalent of more than $1 million. ==Reception== Visitors have given overwhelmingly positive reviews to the boardwalk. Despite some concerns about safety, and the lack of city money for a special boardwalk patrol, most people have felt very safe, and the police department reports few incidents. David Sebok, executive director of the Myrtle Beach Downtown Redevelopment Corporation, has received calls from most business owners who opposed the boardwalk, saying they are happy now. The number of area businesses increased even before summer's end, and those who already had businesses along the boardwalk reported higher income; some reported their best July ever. Additional development includes [[SkyWheel (Myrtle Beach)|SkyWheel]] near Plyler Park, which at 187 feet is the largest [[ferris wheel]] in the United States east of the [[Mississippi River]], and similar in design to the [[Niagara SkyWheel|one]] on [[Canada]]'s side of [[Niagara Falls]]. The Collins family planned to spend $7.5 million on the Second Avenue Pier area. On September 8, the Downtown Redevelopment Corporation met to look at the results of surveys of more than 900 people and found tourists and local people gave the boardwalk a 4.5 out of 5. ==History== Myrtle Beach had a wooden boardwalk in the 1930s and 1940s. After being upgraded with concrete, it was destroyed by [[Hurricane Hazel]] in 1954. All that remained was a concrete walkway between 9th Avenue North and 11th Avenue North, later renamed [[Mr. Joe White Avenue]]. The 1999 Pavilion Area Master Plan included a boardwalk. When the Pavilion closed in 2006 after 58 years, area merchants wanted an attraction to replace it. A mile-long boardwalk had been discussed for several years, but the estimated cost was $10 million, and even if construction started in 2007, it would not be complete until 2010. A major storm could also damage the new attraction. Sebok said "Most tourists expect a boardwalk ... and we really don't have one to speak of." The city allocated $285,000 for design, and The LandArt Co. made preliminary sketches that included benches and planters. By 2007, the cost estimate had risen to $12 million and the start date was Fall 2008. The city was considering several payment methods. City manager Tom Leath wanted a tax district where businesses nearby would pay more because they would benefit more, while some believed the entire city should contribute since the boardwalk would be good for everyone. Opponents of the tax district wondered if small businesses could pay. Some people worried about crime and [[Vagrancy (people)|vagrant]]s. A design with "a traditional wood-plank walkway" and "a meandering concrete sidewalk ... with wooden crosswalks to the beach, colorful shade sails and public parks" was preseented to city council Aug. 14, 2007, but funding was still not set. [[Burroughs & Chapin]], which had torn down the Pavilion building and cleared the {{convert|11|acre|m2|adj=on}} site of the amusement park over the previous year, agreed to pay for the section across the {{convert|11|acre|m2|adj=on}} Pavilion site, using a design matching that in the other areas. [[Groundbreaking]] took place in September 2009, despite a dispute between the city and Burroughs & Chapin, with a question over whether the company would pay for its section. Nevertheless, the company supported the boardwalk and expected its plans for the Pavilion site would benefit. The cost of the project had been cut in half, mainly due to the [[Late-2000s recession|economic slowdown]], making companies more eager to get work. A controversial [[sales tax]] for tourism promotion has made it possible, without raising property taxes in the area, to pay off [[Bond (finance)|bonds]] the city issued to finance the project. The boardwalk was finished from 14th Avenue to 4th Avenue early in April. The boardwalk opened in May 2010 with a [[Ribbon cutting ceremony|ribbon-cutting]] held May 15 as part of the [[Beach Music]] Festival. It attracted people from the area and across the country who had not been downtown in years. The southernmost section, beyond 4th Avenue, was not complete until June. ==External links== *[http://www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/boardwalk/ Official site] *[http://www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com/cameras.html Photos of the current boardwalk] *[http://htomc.dns2go.com/myrtle/default.htm Photos of the old boardwalk (scroll down to "The Boardwalk")] {{coord missing|South Carolina}}