Horry County OKs $150M Myrtle Beach Resort Amid Dune Backlash

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Horry County Council voted 8-3 on April 28, 2026, to greenlight a $150 million resort development along the Myrtle Beach oceanfront, initially reported by The State newspaper. The project, dubbed Oceanfront Towers by developer Coastal Horizons LLC, includes a 400-unit hotel tower, 150 condos, and amenities like infinity pools and beach clubs. Council Chair Johnny Gardner hailed it as a 'game-changer' for Horry County's tourism economy, projecting 500 construction jobs and $20 million in annual tax revenue.

The approval came after months of heated public hearings at the Horry County Government Center in Conway, where opponents cited violations of the Coastal Zone Management Act. Myrtle Beach-based Surfrider Foundation chapter leader Emily Hargrove testified that the 22-story structure would bury 15 acres of primary dunes, critical for protecting against hurricanes like Florence in 2018. 'This isn't development; it's destruction of our shoreline buffer,' Hargrove said, echoing concerns from state Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) biologists about impacts on loggerhead turtle nesting sites.

Proponents, including Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce President Karen Welch, argued the project incorporates mitigation like elevated boardwalks and $5 million in dune restoration. The development sits on a 12-acre parcel at 82nd Avenue North, previously a low-rise motel razed post-Hugo in 1989. With Myrtle Beach welcoming 22 million visitors yearly, backers say it's essential to compete with Hilton Head and Charleston luxury markets.

As construction ramps up by summer 2026, a legal challenge looms from the Southern Environmental Law Center, which vows to sue over federal Clean Water Act permits. Horry County's decision underscores South Carolina's coastal tension: balancing a $25 billion tourism industry against eroding beaches amid rising seas.