Redevelopment plans will transform faded, downtown boardwalk into fresh-faced beautyBeach area ready for facelift
Kevin Hann Sun Media
January 25, 2007
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The adage “what’s old is new again” rings as true as the ocean tide these days along the Grand Strand.
South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach has always been a centre for family fun. Canadians aren’t the only ones who think so. In 2003-2004, the Travel Channel declared the area one of America’s best beaches and earned 18 out of a possible 20 stars to be named best family beach.
There are plans underway to redevelop the faded, downtown boardwalk into a fresh-faced tourist attraction. Too much sun? There are plenty of opportunities for family fun besides the beach. NASCAR SpeedPark revs up high energy fun. Visitors glide along on a moving sidewalk as they check out the sharks at Ripley’s Aquarium.—
From the transformation of a legendary motel into a first-class resort at Sea Island on the Beach, to tantalizing redevelopment possibilities at the former Pavilion site in the city centre, Myrtle Beach is borrowing on its past to forge a fun-filled future.
As the sun set on a sizzling South Carolina summer, a cornerstone of area tourism faded into the history books, as Myrtle Beach Pavilion hosted its farewell fling. The summertime amusement park was forsaken as part of a wide-ranging plan to revitalize the city’s dingy downtown boardwalk by creating a year-round tourism draw.
Exactly what will materialize (there have been rumours of a Disney-style park and condos) has yet to be determined. All eyes are now on Burroughs & Chapin Company as it moves to redevelop the 4.5-hectare park, the area’s most popular attraction.
“The Pavilion represents a significant part of our company’s history and it played a key role in the early development of Myrtle Beach," said company spokesman Pat Dowling. “We hope to be able to preserve as many park items as feasible.”
Meanwhile, there’s no shortage of family fun to be found along the 90-km stretch of sand voted by Travel Channel as one of America's Best Beaches for 2003-2004.
Earning 18 out of a possible 20 stars, Myrtle Beach was singled out as the Best Family Beach. You’ll find boogie boards in abundance, while more adventurous types take to parasailing over the sun-soaked summer surf.
Families seeking a little more privacy and less-crowded beachfront often seek out resorts in the north end of Myrtle Beach (not to be confused with North Myrtle beach, which is several miles father north).
It’s here, at 62nd Ave. N., you’ll find the magnificent Sea Island on the Beach. Canadians by the tens of thousands have made this area their home away from home for vacations. Resorts offer them efficiency suites with all the amenities of home, on-site waterparks, children’s programs and money-saving packages.
More than four-million rounds of Myrtle Beach golf are played here annually at 111 area courses. In this, the golf capital of North America, mini-putt courses are sprouting up everywhere. Dragon's Lair, in the Broadway at the Beach entertainment complex, is a challenging track built over moats and through medieval stone castles.
BATB is also home to a Ripley’s Aquarium, a state-of-the-art, 8,082 sq.-metre masterpiece. Visitors are surrounded by menacing three-metre sharks as they travel through Dangerous Reef, a 2.84-million-litre tank, on the world’s longest (100-metre) moving glidepath.
Life in the fast lane mirrors reality at NASCAR SpeedPark, offering eight go-kart tracks. Regular visitors head to places such as Calabash or Murrell's Inlet to score the freshest catches from seaside markets.
The unofficial flag for Myrtle Beach definitely has a Maple Leaf on it. And those flags will be flying March 10-18 during the annual Can-Am Festival, when there are special events and prices for friends from the north.
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Myrtle Beach real estate is also getting back into the swing in this new spring season. The slowdown of the holidays seems to be lifting and once again the internet is burning up! Good news for all.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
North Carolina Real Estate VS Myrtle Beach
Got a very statistically oriented article in my inbox from a newspaper in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina...Hatteras, Atlantic Beach, etc. Seems like their real estate market is worse than Myrtle Beach. Odd, because I had heard that was a super hot market right now.
It says the cost of living in the upper NC Beach area is higher than us...also surprising. Even to the point that New York and Boston were the only ones higher. I've never heard of that...and can't imagine why that would be.
Houses and condos in Myrtle Beach are slow, but not flat...yet. I have a realtor friend in Charlotte that deals with Lake Norman real estate, and she's going full guns. The last I heard, Brunswick County and the beaches like Holden Beach and Ocean Isle were still strong.
I find this article rather puzzling all the way around....
Economic indicators show downward shift
The Outer Banks Sentinel Wednesday January 17, 2007
The Dare County economic indicators now available through the end of November show a crashing real estate and construction market, a weak retail sector, but a 10.53 percent increase in occupancy taxes for the calendar year.
Dare County building permit values fell 64.59 percent for November 2006 when compared to the same month in 2005. For 2006 through the end of November, construction was down 32.29 percent.
Land transfers also took a dive with a year-to-date total loss of 42.03 percent compared to 2005. November 2005 showed a dip of 30.87 percent.
Retail sales taxes for calendar year 2006 through September showed a gain of just 1.79 percent for the year. September shook out at .79 percent over the same period in 2005.Occupancy taxes through November show a 10.53 percent increase, although it is unclear whether the increase is in visitors or rental prices.
Sales taxes on restaurant sales through November 2005 showed a year-to-date decline of .19 percent. The slowest month, based on sales tax collections for restaurants, was October with a 33.05 percent fall from the previous year.
Neighboring Currituck County, through October 2006, experienced a 48.66 drop in land transfer receipts and a 29.2 percent drop from the previous year's building permit values.
Retail sales in Currituck through September 2006 were up 15.14 percent, although September is reported to have had a 30.08 percent drop from 2005.
A cost of living index prepared by the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce indicates that Dare County residents pay more for grocery items, housing, transportation, health care and goods and services than the average U.S. consumer.
In a comparison with other cities, including Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Myrtle Beach, Harrisonburg, Va., Richmond, Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Greenville, Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Tampa, only Boston and Philadelphia have higher living costs than Dare.
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Myrtle Beach Web Design
It says the cost of living in the upper NC Beach area is higher than us...also surprising. Even to the point that New York and Boston were the only ones higher. I've never heard of that...and can't imagine why that would be.
Houses and condos in Myrtle Beach are slow, but not flat...yet. I have a realtor friend in Charlotte that deals with Lake Norman real estate, and she's going full guns. The last I heard, Brunswick County and the beaches like Holden Beach and Ocean Isle were still strong.
I find this article rather puzzling all the way around....
Economic indicators show downward shift
The Outer Banks Sentinel Wednesday January 17, 2007
The Dare County economic indicators now available through the end of November show a crashing real estate and construction market, a weak retail sector, but a 10.53 percent increase in occupancy taxes for the calendar year.
Dare County building permit values fell 64.59 percent for November 2006 when compared to the same month in 2005. For 2006 through the end of November, construction was down 32.29 percent.
Land transfers also took a dive with a year-to-date total loss of 42.03 percent compared to 2005. November 2005 showed a dip of 30.87 percent.
Retail sales taxes for calendar year 2006 through September showed a gain of just 1.79 percent for the year. September shook out at .79 percent over the same period in 2005.Occupancy taxes through November show a 10.53 percent increase, although it is unclear whether the increase is in visitors or rental prices.
Sales taxes on restaurant sales through November 2005 showed a year-to-date decline of .19 percent. The slowest month, based on sales tax collections for restaurants, was October with a 33.05 percent fall from the previous year.
Neighboring Currituck County, through October 2006, experienced a 48.66 drop in land transfer receipts and a 29.2 percent drop from the previous year's building permit values.
Retail sales in Currituck through September 2006 were up 15.14 percent, although September is reported to have had a 30.08 percent drop from 2005.
A cost of living index prepared by the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce indicates that Dare County residents pay more for grocery items, housing, transportation, health care and goods and services than the average U.S. consumer.
In a comparison with other cities, including Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Myrtle Beach, Harrisonburg, Va., Richmond, Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Greenville, Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Tampa, only Boston and Philadelphia have higher living costs than Dare.
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Myrtle Beach Web Design
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Myrtle Beach Real Estate is "Grande"
I have been coming to Myrtle Beach for at least 40 years. Like many kids in inner North Carolina, that was the vacation our parents took from the 50's on. So I've always loved this place, and wanted to live here. Now I've been here for 15 years, and still love it. But some of the silly stuff that the politicians and powers that be can get involved with still amazes me.
Myrtle Beach has always strived to be more like the Florida Beaches. It always was pretty much like Daytona Beach, but never quite made it to a class act like Boca Raton or Sarasota. Probably never will see that. But with all our new luxury condos in Myrtle Beach, and hopefully an eventual end to the strip clubs and run down buildings on 17, we'll see ourselves turn into a resort area to be proud of...instead of the "redneck Riviera".
In the last couple of years, many of my developer customers have taken to adding the word "Grande" (with the silent E) in their projects. We've got Grande Marsh, Mar Vista Grande, and Grande Shores. Add to that "Pointe" (with the silent E) in example; Pointe Marsh, Water Pointe, Shipwatch Pointe, and even THEE Pawn SHOPPE....you'd think we were reverting to Olde Englishe or trying to sound like we were Frenche...
I usually just roll my eyes and smile. Myrtle Beach natives and long-time transplants are so predictable...myself included. But what I saw in the Yahoo News today really made me laughe out loude.
Burroughs and Chapin, creators of the most luxurious Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach, have apparently taken high offense at the other developers using this silent E in the names of the projects. They say they "trademarked" it, and are threatening to sue everyone who copies their style in naming condos. What a hoot! I wonder if Condo-World can sue every business down here that uses the word "condo"? They trademarked it years ago. Maybe the city of Myrtle Beach can prevent anybody from using the word "Myrtle" in their name. Boy would that be a huge problem!
This is just so silly. B&C already own and control Myrtle Beach. Many people call them names and put them down just like people do Bill Gates. The Have-nots are always jealous of the Haves. But this kind of action is feeding the fire for attitudes like that.
I guess I need to go trademark Myrtle Beach Web Design so I can prevent anybody else here from calling themselves web designers...
B&C wants 'grande' to itselfCompany sues developer over use of word for condos
By David Wren
The Sun News
Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc. says its Myrtle Beach area developments are the only ones grand enough to be branded "grande," and the company is asking a federal court to stop a competitor from using the "G-with-a-silent-E" word in the title of a proposed condominium village.
B&C filed a lawsuit Jan. 3 against Signature Associates Inc. of Myrtle Beach, which plans to build the Grande Villas condo project at the International World Tour Golf Links off U.S. 501 in Myrtle Beach.
B&C says in court papers that Signature is illegally cashing in on its trademark now that the word "grande" has "become famous and distinctive to [B&C's] real estate services."
Mel Graham, president of Signature, said his company "has not been officially served with any lawsuit."
"Signature and Burroughs & Chapin did correspond approximately one year ago about their concern," Graham said. "At that time, Signature advised Burroughs & Chapin that they respectfully disagreed with their position."
Signature has not filed a response to B&C's lawsuit.
B&C spokesman Pat Dowling said he cannot comment on pending legal issues.
B&C, which owns trademarks for eight names with the word "grande" including Grande Dunes, wants unspecified monetary damages and a permanent injunction to prevent Signature from calling its project Grande Villas.
B&C says in court papers that the Grande Villas name will mislead people into thinking the condos are affiliated with Grande Dunes, causing irreparable damage to the "grande" brand that B&C has cultivated through $1.8 million annual advertising campaigns.
"Signature Associates' acts ... are committed with the intent to pass off and palm off its services bearing the 'Grande Villas' mark as if officially licensed or authorized by [B&C] with the intent to deceive and defraud the public," B&C says in court papers filed with the U.S. District Court in Florence.
B&C wrote letters to Signature on three occasions between August and October asking the company to stop using the word "grande," but B&C says Signature never responded.
Signature isn't the first business in the post-Grande Dunes Grand Strand to conclude that an "e" at the end of "grand" gives the name added cachet.
An Internet search shows there are at least a dozen other area non-B&C businesses and attractions using "grande" in their title, including the Paradise Grande condos and residential developments Myrtle Trace Grande, Tuscany Grande and Arrowhead Grande.
Dowling declined to say whether B&C plans to file trademark infringement lawsuits against any of those businesses.
The fact that there are several competing area developments with "grande" in their titles could make it difficult for B&C to prevail in its lawsuit, said Philip Jones, a trademark law expert with the Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione law firm in Chicago.
"It undercuts their ability to prove that the word is no longer just a descriptive term in the minds of consumers," Jones said.
To win, Jones said, B&C must prove that consumers think of that one company when they see the word "grande."
"The defendant is going to point to all these other people using the same term, and what that shows is that consumers can distinguish the differences," he said.
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Myrtle Beach has always strived to be more like the Florida Beaches. It always was pretty much like Daytona Beach, but never quite made it to a class act like Boca Raton or Sarasota. Probably never will see that. But with all our new luxury condos in Myrtle Beach, and hopefully an eventual end to the strip clubs and run down buildings on 17, we'll see ourselves turn into a resort area to be proud of...instead of the "redneck Riviera".
In the last couple of years, many of my developer customers have taken to adding the word "Grande" (with the silent E) in their projects. We've got Grande Marsh, Mar Vista Grande, and Grande Shores. Add to that "Pointe" (with the silent E) in example; Pointe Marsh, Water Pointe, Shipwatch Pointe, and even THEE Pawn SHOPPE....you'd think we were reverting to Olde Englishe or trying to sound like we were Frenche...
I usually just roll my eyes and smile. Myrtle Beach natives and long-time transplants are so predictable...myself included. But what I saw in the Yahoo News today really made me laughe out loude.
Burroughs and Chapin, creators of the most luxurious Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach, have apparently taken high offense at the other developers using this silent E in the names of the projects. They say they "trademarked" it, and are threatening to sue everyone who copies their style in naming condos. What a hoot! I wonder if Condo-World can sue every business down here that uses the word "condo"? They trademarked it years ago. Maybe the city of Myrtle Beach can prevent anybody from using the word "Myrtle" in their name. Boy would that be a huge problem!
This is just so silly. B&C already own and control Myrtle Beach. Many people call them names and put them down just like people do Bill Gates. The Have-nots are always jealous of the Haves. But this kind of action is feeding the fire for attitudes like that.
I guess I need to go trademark Myrtle Beach Web Design so I can prevent anybody else here from calling themselves web designers...
B&C wants 'grande' to itselfCompany sues developer over use of word for condos
By David Wren
The Sun News
Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc. says its Myrtle Beach area developments are the only ones grand enough to be branded "grande," and the company is asking a federal court to stop a competitor from using the "G-with-a-silent-E" word in the title of a proposed condominium village.
B&C filed a lawsuit Jan. 3 against Signature Associates Inc. of Myrtle Beach, which plans to build the Grande Villas condo project at the International World Tour Golf Links off U.S. 501 in Myrtle Beach.
B&C says in court papers that Signature is illegally cashing in on its trademark now that the word "grande" has "become famous and distinctive to [B&C's] real estate services."
Mel Graham, president of Signature, said his company "has not been officially served with any lawsuit."
"Signature and Burroughs & Chapin did correspond approximately one year ago about their concern," Graham said. "At that time, Signature advised Burroughs & Chapin that they respectfully disagreed with their position."
Signature has not filed a response to B&C's lawsuit.
B&C spokesman Pat Dowling said he cannot comment on pending legal issues.
B&C, which owns trademarks for eight names with the word "grande" including Grande Dunes, wants unspecified monetary damages and a permanent injunction to prevent Signature from calling its project Grande Villas.
B&C says in court papers that the Grande Villas name will mislead people into thinking the condos are affiliated with Grande Dunes, causing irreparable damage to the "grande" brand that B&C has cultivated through $1.8 million annual advertising campaigns.
"Signature Associates' acts ... are committed with the intent to pass off and palm off its services bearing the 'Grande Villas' mark as if officially licensed or authorized by [B&C] with the intent to deceive and defraud the public," B&C says in court papers filed with the U.S. District Court in Florence.
B&C wrote letters to Signature on three occasions between August and October asking the company to stop using the word "grande," but B&C says Signature never responded.
Signature isn't the first business in the post-Grande Dunes Grand Strand to conclude that an "e" at the end of "grand" gives the name added cachet.
An Internet search shows there are at least a dozen other area non-B&C businesses and attractions using "grande" in their title, including the Paradise Grande condos and residential developments Myrtle Trace Grande, Tuscany Grande and Arrowhead Grande.
Dowling declined to say whether B&C plans to file trademark infringement lawsuits against any of those businesses.
The fact that there are several competing area developments with "grande" in their titles could make it difficult for B&C to prevail in its lawsuit, said Philip Jones, a trademark law expert with the Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione law firm in Chicago.
"It undercuts their ability to prove that the word is no longer just a descriptive term in the minds of consumers," Jones said.
To win, Jones said, B&C must prove that consumers think of that one company when they see the word "grande."
"The defendant is going to point to all these other people using the same term, and what that shows is that consumers can distinguish the differences," he said.
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