Mar. 29--NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.--Having formed eight months ago, the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce unveiled plans Tuesday for a new office it plans to build on U.S. 17 that will measure more than 3,200 square feet.
'Our growth has been so explosive, and members are eager for us to have a visible location,' Judy Corley, the chamber's executive director, said during a Business After Hours at the Surf Golf and Beach Club. 'We've been seriously working on this the past several months.'
The chamber is leasing a 1,400-square-foot office in the Surfwood Plaza shopping center at U.S. 17 and Second Avenue North, across the street from the North Myrtle Beach office of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
'We've already outgrown it,' Corley said, adding the chamber has 310 members. The new 3,211-square-foot building will be on an outparcel in the Surfwood Plaza shopping center. It's expected to be completed by late summer or early fall.
'Building space is very expensive to lease on U.S. 17,' Corley said. 'The most economical thing for us to do was to find a piece of land and build a building.'
Frank Boulineau, a member of the chamber's board of directors, agreed. He said the chamber plans to lease the outparcel and build its own building.
'It makes a lot of sense economically,' Boulineau said. 'We can own our own building, which is twice as big as we have now, and have a nice presentable building on Highway 17.'
The new wooden structure, designed by Mozingo and Wallace Architects, will sport skylights, lots of windows and have a 'Lowcountry beach appeal,' Corley said.
It will include a welcome center, public restrooms and a large porch.
'It's a welcome, friendly building,' Corley said. 'It's going to be very open and offer a lot of light.'
The new office is one of several goals the chamber has aggressively pursued since its formation.
The board has made available a full-color visitors guide to promote North Myrtle Beach businesses.
In addition, the chamber designed a Web site that receives 3,000 hits a day, chamber officials said.
Moreover, the chamber plans to pursue accommodations tax funds, normally awarded to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, to promote North Myrtle Beach.
'North Myrtle Beach is an entity now, and it isn't the north end of Myrtle Beach,' said Bill Mullin, a member of the chamber's board of directors. 'The time was right. All of a sudden, this thing is a big deal.'
About 300 people came to the Business After Hours event, which was encouraging to Harold Worley, chairman of the board.
'It's obvious from this showing of support that North Myrtle Beach was in need of a chamber of commerce,' Worley said.
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