Pavilion's uncertain fate worries locals, tourists

Just to let everyone know, I"M starting an online petition to stop the closing or moving on the Pavilion, will be finished soon, any body wanting to help, PM me!:)

Online petitions don't mean anything. If you want to make a difference, go to council meetings or zoning board meetings.

From earlier articles, I expected to find this tacky run down amusement area in the middle of some upscale neighborhood. What I found was the opposite... a nice, clean, well kept little amusement park in the middle of your typical tourist sea side neighborhood.

Were it up to me... I would say bring the neighborhood up to the level of the park ( or knock the neighborhood down and start over), not the other way around. (Okay... I KNOW this is not an option... just making a point).

Agreed about on line petitions. Useless, useless, useless. Sometimes they are looked at as the rantings of the "lunatic / fanatical fringe" (if they are even looked at as well). Were I a "local", I would follow Jeff's advice of going to council or zoning meetings.

It would be a huge mistake to remove the Pavilion. I know tons of people who go there just to ride the rides and then they go to the out-let malls. Mytle Beach already has plenty of stores and theaters for year round attendance. The Pavilion was just on Travel Channel as one of the Top Ten Boardwalk or seaside parks. I belive it was 3 or 2. Now why would you want to get rid of that. Moving the park to a different location and then selling the land it is currently on would be better becasue it could mopve to a bigger location. But I see no need to move it, it is making money and it definately attracts people. Why take something good away?

Is it just me or is a big shopping center not that entertaining?

Doing that too, Jeff, but I'd like to atleast show some support for the cause when I go. I'm actually going to be there for that in August.

I'm not just doing the Petition just to do it, but I am also in touch with locals and tourism companies to get people to support the cause as well. I agree, SLFake, the neighborhood is what is really the problem here. If the downtown revitalization project would clean up the stores and store fronts, families would flock down there, but everyone I know goes elsewhere to shop and play(Broadway @ the Beach & Barefoot Landing) because you don't see vulgar pix/language etc. in the window fronts and everything is clean.

I feel they are really on the verge of making a big mistake. I'm working up a presentation for the city council right now. I'm not really into this because of some attachment to the park, If they were going to put rides down town and move the Pavilion out by Kings Highway and expand, that would be a good thing to an extent(I personally would rather it stay, but I wouldn't be so involving myself to fight that...), but The only reason people(besides us club goers) go downtown anymore is for Ripley's stuff and the Pavilion. I really don't think they're looking @ this logically. Clean up the area around the Pavilion and add Year Round attracitons in some of the vacant shops and buildings(plenty there, trust me), and leave the Pavilion there for another 50+ years.

It says that similar plans have worked in Florida. Thos Florida towns were very small and had nothing to do in them. Myrtle Beach already has Broadway at the Beach, Out-let stores and they just built the new mall. Stores are boring . They already have tons of them there and hotels. And with the new Hard-Rock park coming in I don't see why they want to do this now.

It doesn't matter what your intentions are, online petitions are still a joke. That's not a cut on you, I'm just saying that you'd be better off spending your time on some other means to get their attention.

"The project’s goal is to keep the boulevard awake all year, not just in the summer when the Pavilion is open."

As many times I visited Myrtle Beach, like most other tourists, it was always in the summer. I've never been there during the winter or slow months. People that live down there year-round describe the entire Grand Strand area, not just the Pavilion boulevard, is like a ghost town during the off season. Myrtle Beach really has a small population, and I don't see the feasibility of constructing another shopping complex with Boradway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing nearby.

I think removing the Pavillion would be a huge mistake. Having visited that area many times when I was a kid, I always liked to hang out at the Pavillion. I didn't always ride, but it is a good place to people watch. And, to replace it with a shopping center? Wow, that is what the area needs...another shopping center to sell cheap tourist junk! I think there already is enough of that.

Actually, Dragster Freak, I don't think they're thinking of a shopping area for "cheap tourist Junk", but more like "Expensive, upperclass items no one on weeks vacation can afford, except the rich and affluent".

I do get your point, Jeff, and wasn't taking anything as against me:). Hope I didn't come off as sounding hostile, that wasn't my intentions what so ever. I am planning to go down there and fight this and be heard. I'm also hoping to find some supporters in the area that can keep being heard till I do finally move down there(been planning to move for years, now it is within a 1 year timetable because I may actually have a job to give me the funds to move). I'd actually really like to organize an event @ the Pavilion for a weekend to show support early next spring(if its not too late).

jkpark, what you are saying is somewhat true. Myrtle Beach's Ocean Blvd. is fairly dead when Memorial Day hits. I went in Oct. of 2002 and it was nice becuase it was 80* and not crowded. But don't let that fool you. Barefoot Landing and Broadway @ the Beach were still bringing them in, and Downtown was far from Ghost Town on the weekends. But there was a different kind of crowd. Older people, Older families, and Older Parents with childeren. I'm talking older as in late 20's to early 60's.

I think that if they would attack the down town area and make it more like Chicago's Miracle Mile, turning all the stores and vacant buildings that are not doing good, or are under new people every year, etc. into stores like GAP, Limited, Abercrombie & Fitch, SAKs Fifth Ave., Hollister, Ralph Lauren, Tommy, etc.... that are open all year, clean up the Blvd. into a much more eye appealing place(just paving streets, adding brick work, and making a park isn't enough. The store fronts need to be spruced up and the Vulgar Shirts/Towels/Posters put in the backs of those stores), and get rid of some of the Head Shops(though not all, that would kinda defeat the purpos), then it would work.

BUT KEEP THE PAVILION WHERE IT IS! Don't break something your trying to fix that wasn't broken in the fist place! There are plenty of places down there that all of this stuff could go! Put that Coaster over by the beach weaving in and out of buildings! Straighten up the Gay Dolphin! It could be so much better if only they would think this thru more. I'm not just saying this now, I've been saying it for years. There are motels across the street from the beach that I'm sure would sell out to companies to be turned into something better. They've all had vacancies anytime I've been there, which is every month in the summer, including senior week, spring break, spring & fall Bike rallies, etc. I've been saying this for years, hoping they would do soemthing, and when they finally start to "Revitalize Downtown", I was happy. Til I heard this....

Yes, keep it the way it is. The Gay Dolphin rocks! I forgot all about that store! ;)

Either way, cheap tourist junk or expensive items, MB does not need more shops. If people really want to spend money, they can go to one of the malls down there.