Conway Medical Center, DNR reach $9M land deal for site of scrapped Carolina Forest hospital project

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — The state Department of Natural Resources will pay Conway Medical Center $9.5 million for hundreds of acres along International Drive that was the intended location of a controversial hospital project.

The state’s Joint Bond Review Commitee on Tuesday approved an agency request to buy more than 353 acres, adding it to the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve — a key habitat of the critically endangered Venus flytrap.

CMC in February said it was halting plans to build the $161 million facility on a portion of the site after years of opposition from conservation groups and Carolina Forest residents who worried about overcrowding.

“The abundance and range of Venus flytrap has been decimated by fire suppression and land conversion. It is now known from only a few populations in the world,” DNR wrote in documents supporting its request. “The largest population of Venus flytrap in the state … is found centered at the Lewis Ocean Bay HP and is the only population within the state that is considered to have long-term viability.”

Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve is a 10,000-acre sanctuary with biodiverse plants and animals that are native to South Carolina. Horry County’s Imagine 2040 plan discourages development near Lewis Ocean Bay to allow prescribed burns and to protect the county from flooding.

The state’s Department of Natural Resources also objected to building a hospital on the site because it would prevent prescribed burns necessary for fire management and species survival.

CMC spokeswoman Allyson Floyd told News13 on Tuesday that officials are ready to close the deal.

“CMC continues to work with state and local officials to finalize the sale of the International Drive property to SCDNR. The sale of this property to conserve and protect it is the best decision for our community, our patients, and our hospital,” she said.

The healthcare system last week said it was building an $18 million emergency department along the Highway 90 corridor that’s expected to open in 2026.

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