Personal Injury Attorney in Conway, SC

CONWAY — A moribund Grand Strand shopping center could be redeveloped under new ownership.

Rise Partners, a commercial real estate firm with offices in North Carolina and Tennessee, announced Oct. 25 that it had closed on the Coastal Centre in Conway.

Anchoring the corner of U.S. Highway 501 and 16th Avenue, the mall is home to a Belk, a Pizza Hut and several other stores and restaurants, but some of its spaces have been vacant for years, including the former Kmart building. That store closed in 2017.

Myrtle Beach Business

In a LinkedIn post, Rise called the project a "strong redevelopment opportunity" and said they expect to announce plans soon.

City officials have long hoped for the property to be revitalized.

"The site is crucial for the city," Conway City Administrator Adam Emrick said. "It is the center of the city and holds the largest concentration of big box retail. It also holds nearly all of the vacant buildings in the entirety of the city. We need more retail options for our residents and we need square footage available at reasonable rates to accomplish this. Empty buildings invite trouble and decay. And we know there is current demand to fill them or redevelop the site for mixed use or some other creative method."

Earlier this year, the mall's longtime owner, Florida-based Gator Investments, had been in talks with city staff about bringing five to seven new stores to the mall. The list of potential tenants included Ulta Beauty, Marshalls and Michael's, according to city records.

Myrtle Beach News

But that changed when Rise began discussions with Gator about acquiring the site. The new developer also talked with the city about its plans.

It's unclear which stores could locate in the mall or what incentives, if any, would be available to Rise.

Redevelopment rumors about the mall have long circulated in the community. The Conway Chamber of Commerce even worked with Gator on its plans for the site, but every time a graphic with new stores appeared, nothing happened.

The hype drew Don Jackson, too. He and his wife had been living in Charlotte and were looking for a smaller community. They wanted to be close to Myrtle Beach but not in the heart of the tourist traffic.

"Conway seemed like a nice, quaint Norman Rockwell town," Jackson said. "I knew Conway could only grow so big."

After spending years in the construction and restaurant industries, Jackson saw potential in the Coastal Centre, particularly after hearing about some of the potential tenants. He opened Don’s Deli beside the Pizza Hut about two years ago. The business thrived, but he wondered if he'd ever see any new stores.

Jackson said he sold the business earlier this year, but he still saw potential there.

“There’s no reason why this shopping center ain’t full,” he said.

The proposed mall redevelopment comes as the city considers whether to annex property near its eastern border for another shopping center that could include restaurants, offices, a home improvement supercenter and hundreds of apartments.

Monisha Hickman accomplished this past week her goal of owning a home and giving up rent payments by the time she was 30 years old. She turns 30 in December.

On Friday, Oct. 18, many of her friends and folks from Habitat for Humanity gathered on Turtle Street in Conway to celebrate her new two-bedroom, two-bathroom home.

The lifelong Conway resident is employed as the memory care clinical manager at Portside at Grant Dunes, that bills itself as an assisted living, independent living and nursing care facility.

To accomplish her goal, Hickman completed 300 equity hours that involved construction and working in the Habitat retail store. She also completed seminars on home buying and financial literacy to prepare her for making her down payment, which she did before Friday’s celebration, and continuing her monthly payments.

“I am excited,” she said. “I’m just hoping that I accomplish this something new.”

It has taken her two years to satisfy all of Habitat’s requirements. The organization is clear that it helps homeowners afford their homes, but it doesn’t give them away.

Monisha was helped by the supermarket chain, Publix, that pitched in $50,000 toward the purchase of the home, helping to make it affordable for Hickman. A number of Publix employees attended Friday’s celebration.

Hickman said she was very grateful for Publix, which has a store just beside her workplace. She added that she likes to shop at Publix and really likes the store’s fruit.

There were also funds from the federal government and a laptop computer was gifted by Well Springs Church. Food Lion donated a gift card to help fill her cupboard, Lowes provided lawn equipment. and Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success put together a welcome home basket with necessary items including tissue and toilet paper.

Perhaps most importantly, she was given was a Bible. Habitat always has a Bible verse for the new owner. Charles Hickman read Isaiah 41:10, that says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand.”

Sarah Moniz, president of the Habitat Board of Directors, said until now Habitat has had the goal of building seven houses a year at various locations. They have five underway now, but Moniz said in the next five years they’re hoping to double that to 14 houses a year due to the need that they see in this county.

She believes the real estate market just can’t keep up with this area’s growth, making Habitat much more valuable.

Jonas Johnson with Publix said the company’s founder George Jenkins believed owning a home provides more than shelter for a family. It can give a family safety, independence and hope.

He said since 2005, the company has donated $43 million to build homes and provide emergency shelters.

Danielle Lewis, homeowner services specialist and member of the Habitat staff, said Hickman continues to persevere. She’s humble, always has a smile and always did what she had to do. She described her as passionate about her job and the people she works with and those she cares for.

Hickman thanked God for the great opportunity she’s got now. She also thanked Publix, Habitat and her family.

According to information provided by Habitat, in addition to spending time with her family, Monisha loves dancing, eating and having fun. She loves cookouts and outdoor activities, but her favorite activity is singing. The ceremony was followed by a huge lunch for everyone there.

Tommy Cardinal is the managing editor of MyHorryNews. Reach him at 843-488-7244 or tommy.cardinal@myhorrynews.com. Follow him on X @BySTCardinal.

Conway residents, CCU's Homecoming Court customize their golf carts in competitive, spooky style for Halloween.

Downtown Conway is the place to be Saturday, Oct. 19, when, for the second year in a row the Coastal Carolina University Homecoming Parade joins forces with Conway Downtown Alive’s annual Halloween Golf Cart Parade for one “Monster” of a procession, according to Hillary Howard, director of CDA.

The hijinks begin at the Conway Public Safety Building on 9th Avenue, then continue down 9th Avenue to Laurel Street into downtown Conway, ending at Marina Drive and Elm Street.

“When CCU's Homecoming falls in October, we combine the Halloween Golf Cart Parade (in its 5th year) and the CCU Homecoming Parade into a whimsical morning of Halloween delight!” she explains.

It’s free to register for the parade; however, participants must register in advance so Conway Alive can prepare.

Community members participating in the HGCP take this event seriously, often spending weeks designing and finessing their golf cart piece to compete for a giant orange and black ribbon for the front of their cart in addition to bragging rights for a year, Howard notes. There are awards, with participants engaged in either a non-competitive or competitive category. Residents get involved “all for the love of the ‘City of Halloween,’" she adds.

“Pair this with CCU student organizations that arrive via shuttle bus with armloads of decor, and boxes of inflated balloons, and prebuilt cart additions,” Howard continues. “The students have just two hours to decorate their rented cart, and the juxtaposition between the two approaches creates a wonderful energy that embodies why Conway is honored and proud to be the home of Coastal Carolina University!

Along with Conway Alive, the Halloween Golf Cart Parade is sponsored by Daisy Fair Flowers, Santee Cooper, and Pepsi Bottling Ventures.

Conway’s Halloween Golf Cart Parade - Downtown Saturday, Oct. 19, 9:30 a.m. (843) 248-6260, conwayalive.com

Resources:

Related articles:

August 2024

The Heart of a Champion

Former Boxing Heavyweight Champ, James “Bonecrusher” Smith gives back to the local youth as much as he gave out in the boxing ring

Anthony Ludovici-DeBrigida knew he wanted to open his own pizzeria. His family had run one, and he’d been in the business for years.

Ludovici-DeBrigida contacted a real estate professional to help him and his wife find a location in the Myrtle Beach area, and the realtor found a spot in downtown Conway. The location previously housed the Pickled Cucumber restaurant that opened in 2018. However, Ludovici-DeBrigida said the owners wanted to retire, and the restaurant closed in late June 2024.

At 1129 3rd Ave, the location is in the heart of downtown Conway, and Ludovici-DeBrigida opened Anto’s Pizza Romana & Italian Market in October 2024.

“I just kind of fell in love with the location,” he added.

Ludovici-DeBrigida wasn’t the only one who became infatuated with Conway. Several new restaurants of all varieties have opened in the area recently.

In addition to Anto’s opening in October 2024, the healthy foods restaurant Bowled also opened a second location in Conway. The self-serve beer restaurant Palmetto Taps began serving drinks in downtown Conway in August 2024. The owners of River City Cafe plan to start a new restaurant in Conway, and the Myrtle Beach-based wing place Kluck It announced plans to expand into Conway.

The prevalence of restaurants in Conway represents a change from how the area looked, particularly in the downtown area. Hillary Howard is the executive director of the Conway Downtown Alliance, which tries to generate economic activity in downtown areas. Howard said that when she started in 2009, downtown had 50 empty storefronts, and the downtown alliance had to create illusion-like activities to bring life to the area.

“We did a whole campaign where we put posters of residents in all the empty storefronts to at least try to bring some activation to those storefronts,” Howard said.

At the time, Conway was more focused on bringing in tourists, which Howard said didn’t serve the area. Locals can visit daily, whereas tourists usually visit for a couple of hours one day out of their vacation. Howard said that 2017 the strategy change was more focused on locals.

Howard said three things helped bring Conway residents downtown to eat. Hurricane Florence in 2018 spurred locals to hurt eateries impacted by the storm. Construction on the Main Street Bridge in 2019 deterred locals from traveling past the Intracoastal Waterway to eat and instead dine in Conway.

Then, during the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants transitioned to curbside pick-up, and Howell said these things helped spur Conway’s burgeoning reputation as a place to eat. Now, more than 20 restaurants in the downtown area draw in patrons.

“Coming out of the pandemic, the restaurants have just not slowed down at all,” She added.

Howell claimed that the number of people dining in Conway has nearly doubled since 2021. Part of this new profile also includes events. The City of Conway hosts events year-round, with peak season during the holidays.

The goal is to have people attend an event downtown, then walk around the city and eat in one of the restaurants. This is partially achieved by limiting the number of food trucks and similar vendors who would take competition away from area restaurants.

“A lot of folks don’t realize that our entire core downtown fits in the same footprint of a Walmart,” Howard added. “If you’re willing to park at Walmart, I walk to the back and get your milk; you’re not walking any further than you are in downtown.”

The restaurants also help local businesses by drawing people to dine and then perusing downtown shops. Russell Fowler co-owns The Haberdashery Gentlemen’s Clothiers, Her Dashery and Black Water Market in Conway.

Fowler is a Conway native who’s been in operation for 36 years and said the downtown’s rebranding as a dining destination for locals helped invigorate the area after shopping malls and other large retail outlets drew businesses and locals away.

He added that locals visit restaurants before walking to one of the storefronts afterward to shop.

“There’s a lot of synergy in Conway because even though there are a lot of different types of food, we’re all kind of on the same page as far as the clientele that we’re reaching out for,” Fowler added. “Four or five friends will come over here and spend the day in Conway, shopping, eating, and just enjoying the ambiance of the downtown. That’s just the type of person that we gear to.”

And more restaurants could open in Conway to draw more diners in. Howell said that the area could use a seafood restaurant. She added a small plate, and a bourbon restaurant and steakhouse might also be nearby.

Howell added that the area’s restaurant industry will continue to expand as long as Conway’s gets bigger.

“Right now, population, growth, I mean, it’s through the roof,” Howell said. “Until we see that plateau, we’re still going to see the introduction of restaurants that we all really would like.”

The Sun News

Ben Morse is the Retail and Leisure Reporter for The Sun News. Morse covers local business and Coastal Carolina University football and was awarded third place in the 2023 South Carolina Press Association News Contest for sports beat reporting and second place for sports video in the all-daily division. Morse previously worked for The Island Packet, covering local government. Morse graduated from American University in 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism and economics and is originally from Prospect, Kentucky.

Anthony Ludovici-DeBrigida knew he wanted to open his own pizzeria. His family had run one, and he’d been in the business for years.

Ludovici-DeBrigida contacted a real estate professional to help him and his wife find a location in the Myrtle Beach area, and the realtor found a spot in downtown Conway. The location previously housed the Pickled Cucumber restaurant that opened in 2018. However, Ludovici-DeBrigida said the owners wanted to retire, and the restaurant closed in late June 2024.

At 1129 3rd Ave, the location is in the heart of downtown Conway, and Ludovici-DeBrigida opened Anto’s Pizza Romana & Italian Market in October 2024.

“I just kind of fell in love with the location,” he added.

Ludovici-DeBrigida wasn’t the only one who became infatuated with Conway. Several new restaurants of all varieties have opened in the area recently.

In addition to Anto’s opening in October 2024, the healthy foods restaurant Bowled also opened a second location in Conway. The self-serve beer restaurant Palmetto Taps began serving drinks in downtown Conway in August 2024. The owners of River City Cafe plan to start a new restaurant in Conway, and the Myrtle Beach-based wing place Kluck It announced plans to expand into Conway.

The prevalence of restaurants in Conway represents a change from how the area looked, particularly in the downtown area. Hillary Howard is the executive director of the Conway Downtown Alliance, which tries to generate economic activity in downtown areas. Howard said that when she started in 2009, downtown had 50 empty storefronts, and the downtown alliance had to create illusion-like activities to bring life to the area.

“We did a whole campaign where we put posters of residents in all the empty storefronts to at least try to bring some activation to those storefronts,” Howard said.

At the time, Conway was more focused on bringing in tourists, which Howard said didn’t serve the area. Locals can visit daily, whereas tourists usually visit for a couple of hours one day out of their vacation. Howard said that 2017 the strategy change was more focused on locals.

Howard said three things helped bring Conway residents downtown to eat. Hurricane Florence in 2018 spurred locals to hurt eateries impacted by the storm. Construction on the Main Street Bridge in 2019 deterred locals from traveling past the Intracoastal Waterway to eat and instead dine in Conway.

Then, during the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants transitioned to curbside pick-up, and Howell said these things helped spur Conway’s burgeoning reputation as a place to eat. Now, more than 20 restaurants in the downtown area draw in patrons.

“Coming out of the pandemic, the restaurants have just not slowed down at all,” She added.

Howell claimed that the number of people dining in Conway has nearly doubled since 2021. Part of this new profile also includes events. The City of Conway hosts events year-round, with peak season during the holidays.

The goal is to have people attend an event downtown, then walk around the city and eat in one of the restaurants. This is partially achieved by limiting the number of food trucks and similar vendors who would take competition away from area restaurants.

“A lot of folks don’t realize that our entire core downtown fits in the same footprint of a Walmart,” Howard added. “If you’re willing to park at Walmart, I walk to the back and get your milk; you’re not walking any further than you are in downtown.”

The restaurants also help local businesses by drawing people to dine and then perusing downtown shops. Russell Fowler co-owns The Haberdashery Gentlemen’s Clothiers, Her Dashery and Black Water Market in Conway.

Fowler is a Conway native who’s been in operation for 36 years and said the downtown’s rebranding as a dining destination for locals helped invigorate the area after shopping malls and other large retail outlets drew businesses and locals away.

He added that locals visit restaurants before walking to one of the storefronts afterward to shop.

“There’s a lot of synergy in Conway because even though there are a lot of different types of food, we’re all kind of on the same page as far as the clientele that we’re reaching out for,” Fowler added. “Four or five friends will come over here and spend the day in Conway, shopping, eating, and just enjoying the ambiance of the downtown. That’s just the type of person that we gear to.”

And more restaurants could open in Conway to draw more diners in. Howell said that the area could use a seafood restaurant. She added a small plate, and a bourbon restaurant and steakhouse might also be nearby.

Howell added that the area’s restaurant industry will continue to expand as long as Conway’s gets bigger.

“Right now, population, growth, I mean, it’s through the roof,” Howell said. “Until we see that plateau, we’re still going to see the introduction of restaurants that we all really would like.”

The Sun News

Ben Morse is the Retail and Leisure Reporter for The Sun News. Morse covers local business and Coastal Carolina University football and was awarded third place in the 2023 South Carolina Press Association News Contest for sports beat reporting and second place for sports video in the all-daily division. Morse previously worked for The Island Packet, covering local government. Morse graduated from American University in 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism and economics and is originally from Prospect, Kentucky.