‘A facility for everybody’: Myrtle Beach, CCU break ground on $22M downtown arts venue

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Myrtle Beach leaders joined Coastal Carolina University officials on Monday to turn dirt on a multi-million dollar Broadway Theatre rehabilitation that will anchor the city’s arts and innovation district.

A project nine years in the making, Mayor Brenda Bethune said construction is a turning point for Myrtle Beach’s future.

“To me, today represents the dawn of a new and emerging Myrtle Beach, an elevated Myrtle Beach, with a beautiful arts and innovation district, where this is the catalyst for what is to come,” she said.

The $22.3 million venture is being built along an historic stretch of Main Street, occupying what once was Mates’ Dress Shop, J&J Drugs and the original Broadway Theater.

Once complete, the 300-seat performing arts center expected to open in 2026 will boast amenities including rooftop patio space.

CCU will house its performing arts programs inside the theater, while also hosting cultural events. The school is responsible for operating costs and in return gets a minimum of 150 use days, while the city gets 30.

Bethune said the theater will attract more economic development while helping existing businesses thrive.

CCU President Michael Benson said the theater’s success is vital for the university’s future as well.

“This community will be so enriched by this venue. But more importantly, by the people that animate it. Enliven it. And bring to everybody. This is a venue and a facility for everybody,” he said.

CCU sophomore Max McIntier is a theater major who drove all the way from Kentucky to take part in Monday’s ceremony.

“We will have the opportunity to perform for tourists that flock to this area from all over the country, and it’s very exciting to think about how far the Coastal Carolian theater name will reach for years to come,” he said.

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Skylar Musick is a multimedia journalist at News13. Skylar is originally from Long Island, New York. She joined the News13 team in June 2024 after graduating from Villanova University in May 2024. Follow Skylar on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook , or Instagram , and read more of her work here .

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