Myrtle Beach Pelicans Ballpark renovation will cost nearly $60M after extension, doc says

Horry County’s elected officials have made their decision.

The Minor League Baseball team, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, is now one step closer to staying for another year after council members approved the extension of a one-year lease agreement with the team, and financing to pay for capital improvements for Pelicans Ballpark.

The City of Myrtle Beach has one more vote on Oct. 22 to put into place Ordinance 2024-64, which would finalize the city’s approval of the one-year lease extension for the team, according to a copy of the ordinance.

According to a draft of the potential lease agreement, the lease would expire 30 days after the end of the 2025 baseball season.

The City of Myrtle Beach has projected that the total cost of all required Pelicans Ballpark renovations and visitor club house construction between the 2024 fiscal year and the 2028 fiscal year will be approximately $58.7 million, according to meeting documents from Horry County Council.

Past voting records from both entities show that this is the fourth time this year-long extension has been voted on.

No public comment was given at the county council meeting on Tuesday night where council members passed the lease-extension, a stark change from previous Myrtle Beach City Council meetings where fans, seasonal employees and baseball enthusiasts came out in droves to support the Pelicans.

According to previous reporting , the stadium where the team plays their home games near downtown Myrtle Beach is owned 70% by the City of Myrtle Beach and 30% by Horry County.

This county decision follows a similar vote made by city council the week before , showing that both entities have come to an agreement to extend the lease.

Part of the resolution the county approved earlier this week amended Horry County’s current fiscal year budget to allow for higher renovation costs that city officials said at their last meeting are required to be completed before this summer’s season.

Originally, the resolution showed that Horry County had $1.19 million in the Baseball Stadium Fund. After Tuesday’s yes vote, that number was increased to $1.3 million, following the city’s projected costs for needed capital improvements to the facility, the county’s resolution said.

“The City shall be responsible for management of the joint enterprise and shall provide such staff or other resources for the operation, maintenance and repair of the Ballpark as are necessary to protect the interests of the parties and satisfy the terms of all agreements and leases entered into by the parties for use of the Ballpark,” Section Two of the original 1998 Ballpark Management Agreement between Horry County and the City of Myrtle Beach states.

Under the 1998 agreement, the city “shall not expend funds of the enterprise to make improvements to the ballpark (not including repair and maintenance of the facility),” without the approval of both governing bodies, the document said.