Issue 41, August 28, 1997
A plan has been formulated for the retooling of the downtown Myrtle Beach amusement district around the Pavilion. The task force commissioned for this is recommending five districts be created: an entry section with a visitors' center, a park district to the north, a central district with the Pavilion and adjacent attractions, a beach district, and an unrestricted southern section. Proposals also include a pier extending into the ocean from the Pavilion containing a small amusement park of its own, overhead walkways connecting the Pavilion and the pier and nearby parking, a new beachfront boardwalk, beautification of US 17 Business, and more parking garages and public restrooms.
One business watching the redevelopment efforts closely is the Ripley's Entertainment Group. They operate the Ripley's Believe It Or Not wax museum and the Motion Master theater, and will move both should downtown not be revitalized. Sometime early in the next century the company will also open a new high technology Guinness museum along the strand, featuring a motion theater, a moving sidewalk similar to the one at the Ripley's Aquarium, and computerized displays. The company that built the aquarium will be designing this new museum as well.
Watching your fat intake? You might want to avoid the fried foods at the all-you-can-eat emporiums at the beach. An analysis of one restaurant's fried seafood showed that five ounces contain between 80 grams of fat (for the scallops) and 94 grams (for the oysters). Even five ounces of hush puppies delivers 24 grams of fat. Better to stick to non-fried foods; five ounces of steamed shrimp have only six grams of fat.
Burroughs and Chapin, the Myrtle Beach landowner that donated the land for the new minor league ballpark, is planning a shopping and dining center next to the park.
With new funding in place, construction of the delayed Conway Bypass road could begin within three months. A state transportation board must approve all projects, but is expected to green-light the Bypass first.
In restaurant news, the formal restaurant The Library in central Myrtle Beach on US 17 Business is getting a casual sister establishment. The Casual Gourmet Cafe will be open 5 to 10 Monday through Saturday. Call 803-448-4527. A new theme restaurant, Bullwinkle's Family Food and Fun, is being constructed near Broadway at the Beach. This restaurant will be similar in concept to Chuck E. Cheese's, with arcade and children's games, Bullwinkle cartoons and animated figures, and the like. Fast food is on the menu, and the hours are 11 to 11 every day.
Officials are still discussing how to deal with next year's Black Biker Weekend on Memorial Day, especially in light of one estimate that the crowd size will double in 1998. This year's event was plagued by unruly behavior, reportedly including open drug use, sex and urination. The police presence will be considerably greater, including state troopers and possibly the National Guard on standby. The predominantly white Harley weekend, held a week earlier, went smoothly this year. That has lead to calls for organized events during Black Biker Weekend such as the ones that occupied Harley Weekend visitors, but now some business owners are pointing out that the Harley crowd is older and wealthier, and this may not be effective with the Memorial Day crowd. One businessman wants a Memorial Day parade to help reclaim Ocean Boulevard.
The Coastal Concert Association has announced its upcoming schedule. All concerts are at the Myrtle Beach High School Auditorium and begin at 8 p.m. Call 803-449-7546 for more info.
Carousel, Oct. 16
Banu Gibson (jazz singer), Nov. 22
Rhythm and Brass, Jan. 22
Camerata Orchestra, Feb. 10
Marvin Hamlisch, Mar. 29
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