The City of Myrtle Beach is taking the final steps toward building a long-awaited boardwalk on the beachfront.
Tuesday, city council approved a bond sale to pay for the project, and only one step remains before ground is broken.
The city just has to award a contract, which should happen within the next week or so and in a few more weeks, construction can begin and then other properties, like the Second Avenue Pier, can make some long-planned improvements of their own.
Frrst-time visitors to the Second Avenue Pier in Myrtle Beach tend to have two questions.
"Number one question when people walk out here: are the fish biting? and the second question, where's the boardwalk?" said Teak Collins, the owner of the 2nd Avenue Pier.
Teak Collins, whose family owns the pier, will soon have an answer to that second question.
City council has approved a $10.3 million bond issue to pay for building a one-mile long boardwalk.
About $6.5 million will pay for the boardwalk itself.
The bids for the project came in far below what the city had planned, so there'll be money left over from the bond issue to do landscaping and improvements on Ocean Boulevard.
"This is really a win, win, win. we not only get the boardwalk done, we can move ahead on some other downtown projects," said David Sebok, with Myrtle Beach Downtown Redevelopment.
Construction of the boardwalk means Collins can start making his own planned improvements to Second Avenue Pier, like a rooftop bar and beachfront shops.
Now, after hearing talk about the boardwalk for nearly 20 years, Collins says it's almost mission accomplished and he likes the plans.
"To be something that the whole east coast will be envious of," said Collins.
Some oceanfront property owners were opposed to the boardwalk, but Collins thinks when it's finished, they'll like how it improves the value of their property.
City officials say concerns about the boardwalk are fading.
"The feedback and involvement that we've gotten since the bids were announced has just been universally very exciting," added Sebok.
One issue the city is still working on is restrooms. State law won't allow restrooms on the boardwalk itself but the city can make improvements at street ends where you access the boardwalk and officials are looking at those options.
The first phase of the boardwalk is scheduled to be complete by next Easter.
