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CONWAY, S.C. (WMBF) - Storefronts at the Coastal Centre Mall have been vacant for years, but redevelopment plans for the building have taken a step forward potentially bringing in some big-name national retailers.

“You know, you’ve got to plant the seed somewhere. We think this is it. This serves folks here in Conway in a huge way,” said William Goldfinch, Conway City Councilmember.

What many remember as a K-Mart, Goody’s, and Winn-Dixie will soon become Marshalls, HomeGoods, PetSmart, Five Below, and Ulta along Church Street.

Rise Partners, a development company out of North Carolina and Tennessee purchased the shopping mall in October 2024 with plans to bring new retail stores to Conway.

Many Conway residents expressed their excitement for the stores that could come because it will allow them to stay closer to home instead of driving 30 minutes into the Myrtle Beach area.

“I think a lot of people are excited just to have things that are actually things people want to use and go to,” said McClain Powell, Conway resident. “It’s nice because the closest ones around here are like 20-25 minutes away, down on Seaboard Street. It would be easier for me to go after work and pick up the stuff I need.”

Belk is the only stand-alone anchor store in the shopping mall, and Mirian Evans is a frequent shopper who is ready for more places to shop.

“It is open and a lot of people are moving here, and it’s growing,” said Evans. “It is great because we need more shopping around here. We have Belk, where I come all the time to shop, but we need HomeGoods and Marshalls, so everyone can come and enjoy. It is more affordable for people.”

Goldfinch expressed this development is something the city has needed for a while, and the process has been smooth.

“They recognize that Conway has a future, a bright future, and opportunity abounds here,” said Goldfinch. “I think that is why they wanted to be here. Not just to help us with additional retail stores, but they saw it as a viable, ongoing concern, and they took the initiative to come to Conway and make this happen.”

Many residents have made known that Conway needs a new grocery store, and Goldfinch said one is in the works, but nothing has been finalized.

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Conway's Coastal Centre Mall site could see a few major anchor stores as a developer has submitted official plans to the city.

Homegoods, Marshalls and PetSmart are among the anchor stores in plans for redeveloping the mall site off Church Street in Conway, which were handed over to the city by Rise Partners, a commercial real estate firm with offices in Charlotte and Chattanooga.

The shopping center, along the 1600 block of Church Street, has an existing stand-alone Belk and was once home to Kmart, Goody's and a Winn-Dixie grocery store.

Plans show 245,000 square feet of building space. Five Below and Ulta Beauty are also listed as retailers coming to the center.

As one of the major retail areas in Conway, city leaders have prioritized trying to get this area redeveloped, said Conway Mayor Barbara Blain. The lack of use and the disrepair of the buildings could have led to an unsightly area, and the redevelopment could help, she added.

"If these new stores do come to Conway, they will greatly increase retail selections for our residents," said Blain. "Many hours and transportation dollars will be saved as we will no longer only access these retailers on the Grand Strand and beyond."

Blain said specialty shops downtown should not see competition from these big-box stores.

"I welcome this development and shopping opportunities it brings," Blain said.

Units for Homegoods, Marshalls and PetSmart range from roughly 22,000 square feet to 24,000 square feet, with Marshalls being the largest, according to plans submitted to the city. Plans also include smaller 1,500-square-foot retail spaces.

A grocery store is not in the site plan. And Conway is in need of another grocery store. It's possible one is on the way.

"Negotiations are ongoing to bring a new grocery store to Conway," Councilman William Goldfinch said. "We desperately need it and recognize that citizens need it."

As for the mall site, Goldfinch said it's "an incredible first step in bringing world-class retail to Conway, and this plants the seed for even more prominent retailers to come to Conway."

MyHorryNews has reached out to Rise Partners for comment.

Rise Partners owns the property at Church Street and 16th Avenue in Conway. The firm purchased the land in 2024 for $14 million.

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In November, Conway City Council approved a resolution supporting Rise's efforts verifying that portions of the mall have been vacant for a qualifying period of time, allowing the developer to seek state tax credits under the Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act.

The resolution states that the city “hopes that high-quality national retailers will be recruited to the plaza and fill a much-needed gap in the retail availability of goods for Conway residents.”

City Administrator Adam Emrick said he is thrilled that life will once again be breathed into the shopping plaza.

"So many long time residents of Conway have fond memories of a vibrant, thriving shopping district," Emrick said in an email. "Unfortunately, over the last decade or so, that has not been the reality. This area, when completed, will help further the progress and image of Conway that we’ve been doing so well to improve. It will also give everyone a place to shop that isn’t miles away."

Conway leaders on Monday approved applications for the city's incentives program for the redevelopment of vacant property larger than 25,000 square feet.

Hannah Strong Oskin is the executive editor of MyHorryNews. Reach her at 843-488-7242 or hannah.oskin@myhorrynews.com. Follow her on X @HannahSOskin.

Since the city sank the first piling more than three decades ago, the Conway Riverwalk has become an integral part of life in the Horry County seat.

It’s where locals go for special occasions and photo shoots — weddings, proposals, proms, birthdays, anniversaries. It’s where they exercise, stroll, take visiting family members, or sit in silent contemplation as the dark waters flow slowly by.

Now, there’s even more to enjoy, after officials cut the ribbon on an 1,150-foot extension on Thursday, Feb. 6.

Floating lanterns lit Kingston Lake and a gondolier waited patiently at a floating dock to take participants on a romantic gondola ride as the city celebrated its latest accomplishment.

“It represents our commitment to making Conway a place that people want to live, work and visit, and I believe it’s working. It’s about building a thriving community, enhancing our quality of life, and creating lasting memories for everyone who steps foot here,” Mayor Barbara Jo Blain told a crowd of about 100 residents and local officials.

You won’t get any argument from Herman and Valeria Senor. The couple moved back to Conway three years ago, and enjoyed a gondola ride and the expanded Riverwalk on Thursday.

“This is wonderful,” Herman Senor said. “Very accessible, roomy and convenient."

It didn’t come easy.

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The city broke ground on the project in November 2023, with an expected completion date of November 2024, but construction finished about two months behind schedule.

“We had extreme weather, rising waters, and we even had snow,” said Tyler Thomas of Sellers General Construction of Conway, which built the extension.

“Mother Nature reminds us that you must adapt, adjust and work around her schedule,” he said.

It marked the third expansion of the Riverwalk, the most popular pathway in a city full of trails, with the first phase finished in 1993. The attraction nows runs from the confluence of Kingston Lake and the Waccamaw River north to 4th Avenue at the Highway 905 bridge.

It features 2,200 feet of pressure-treated pine boardwalk and connecting sidewalks that span about 1.2 miles.

With the latest expansion, which was part of the city’s master development plan, the Riverwalk finally meets Main Street. The Riverwalk connects to the downtown business district via a curved, landscaped sidewalk at Fourth Avenue.

“The expansion links the Riverfront and Main Street, encouraging increased foot traffic and stimulating local economic activity,” city spokesperson June Wood wrote in a news release.

The extension includes elevated decks over the water north and south of the railroad trestle, linked by a section that goes up and over the tracks. There are three wide, octagon-shaped areas for socializing. And floating docks enable boaters to tie up and visit shops and restaurants in the downtown historic district.

The project cost $2,287,277, and was paid for in part by a $750,000 grant from the State Parks Recreation and Tourism Fund secured by State Sen. Luke Rankin (R-Myrtle Beach) and the rest of Conway’s legislative delegation. The balance came from city hospitality funds, which are taxes paid on meals and hotel rooms in the city.

“When we began dreaming about the Riverwalk we envisioned a place where families could walk, gather and enjoy the beauty of our river and lake. Where boats could tie to floating docks and their occupants could stroll downtown for dinner and shopping,” Mayor Blain said.

Mission accomplished.

The Riverwalk "highlights our town’s rich history, its cultural heritage and incredible natural surroundings,” the mayor said. "We are so blessed.”

The event was also the launch of Conway’s "City of Love" Valentine’s Day celebration.

Free gondola rides for two will be offered from 4-7 p.m. Feb. 13-16 from the Riverwalk dock at Fourth Avenue.

Valentine’s Village on the Town Green at 200 Laurel St. will be open from 6-9 on Feb. 13-16, and Valentine’s themed decorations and photo ops abound in the downtown business district.

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s latest round of restaurant inspections around the Grand Strand found pink mildew slime, live bugs and food past its discard date.

In general, SCDA gives restaurants scoring between 88 and 100 points A grades, restaurants scoring 78-87 points B grades and restaurants scoring 77 points or fewer C grades.

However, the department sometimes lowers grades for restaurants that have consecutive violations, are under enforcement action or are under pending enforcement actions, including imminent health hazards, permit suspensions or permit revocations.

Of the 209 restaurant inspections conducted in Horry and Georgetown County between Feb. 15 and Feb. 28, SCDA gave three C grades and eight B grades. However, all three C grades went to the same establishment, and only five of the establishments with B grades actually scored below 88 points. Here’s what inspectors found.

Conway Mart

1300 U.S. 501 Business, Conway, SC 29526

Score: 71

At a routine inspection of Conway Mart on Feb. 20, there was no certified food protection manager, eggs kept at room temperature and ready-to-eat foods like chicken nuggets weren’t marked with times for safe consumption, and raw meats were stored at insufficiently cool temperatures in the walk-in refrigerator.

Other violations included an open case of single-use containers stored near a ceiling leak, cases of chicken stored on the floor of the walk-in freezer and containers of foods like fried chicken filled with condensation “out of the flow of air to properly cool.” The inspector also noted gaps in a walk-in fridge that didn’t seal, red-tinged ice on the walk-in freezer floor and grease build-up on hood filters.

At subsequent inspections on Feb. 21 and 28, some of the violations were corrected. Conway Mart scored 82 points and 86 points, consecutively, though at the most recent inspection, the inspector saw a live roach on the counter near the milkshake machine. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for March 10.

Flavor Hills

1410 N. Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

Score: 78

In response to a complaint, the SCDA conducted an inspection of Flavor Hills on Feb. 13. The inspection report notes that employees doing food prep tasks like handling raw chicken didn’t properly wash their hands, as multiple sinks were blocked or unavailable.

Other violations included foods available for use past their discard dates, foods like curry and sausage stored at insufficiently cold temperatures, improperly thawed meats and improperly cooled foods like grits.

The inspector also observed tongs stored on oven handles near the floor, missing ceiling tiles over food prep areas and soiled cleaning cloths not stored in sanitizer buckets between use. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for March 8.

Wild Wing Plantation

1000 Wild Wing Blvd., Conway, SC 29526

Score: 79

A routine inspection of Wild Wing Plantation Golf Course on Feb. 26 found several violations, including drain flies around the kitchen, foods like an open bag of bread crumbs stored on the floor and foods like chicken salad and raw beef patties stored at insufficiently cool temperatures.

The inspection report also details misidentified foods stored in unlabeled containers, icy build-up on food and boxes stored under the condensation line, build-up around the dish machine, residential bug spray stored in the kitchen and water damage behind the bar. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for March 8.

Tienda y Tortilleria El Coco

117 Rivertown Blvd., Conway, SC 29526

Score: 82

At a routine inspection of Tienda y Tortilleria El Coco on Feb. 18, the inspector observed tamales more than a week old, foods like soup and beef without dates marked for safe consumption, and cooked chicken and pork broth stored at insufficiently cold temperatures.

Other violations included vacuum-sealing cheeses without SCDA approval, improperly thawing raw pork, improperly cooling chicken and washing, but not sanitizing, dishes. According to the inspector’s comments, a follow-up inspection was to be conducted by Feb. 28, but no subsequent report has been made publicly available.

Zaxby’s

3858 Renee Dr, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579

Score: 82

In response to a complaint, on Feb. 24 the SCDA inspected the Carolina Forest Zaxby’s location. The inspector observed live bugs on a kitchen wall, water from a prep sink draining onto the floor into storage areas, chicken held at an insufficiently hot temperature and pans on a storage rack with “caked-on food.”

The inspection report also details grease and water “puddled” around drains, as well as food debris and build-up on shelves, walls, floors and equipment. However, at a follow-up inspection the next day, the restaurant managed a perfect score.

Sushi King Steak & Seafood

4036 River Oaks Dr #9, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579

Score: 85

A routine inspection of Sushi King Steak & Seafood in Carolina Forest on Feb. 25 found several violations, including pink mildew slime in the ice machine, raw fish stored without dates for safe consumption and frozen fish thawed in vacuum-sealed packaging, which is a risk for botulism.

The inspector also observed sushi held at insufficiently cold temperatures and containers without handles used to scoop foods like dry rice. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for March 7.

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Maria Elena Scott writes about trending topics and what you need to know in the Grand Strand. She studied journalism at the University of Houston and covered Cleveland news before coming to the Palmetto State.

Conway is hoping to keep the momentum going after thousands of people flocked to the downtown area to see lights hanging from the city’s water tower, Santa’s village and almost endless holiday decorations during the Christmas season.

The city is back for a second year with its Valentine’s Day decorations – and this year’s lovey-dovey showcase is bigger than the last.

“We’ve gone bigger for Valentine’s Day than we have in the past,” said City Administrator Adam Emrick.

That includes free gondola rides for you and your sweetheart in the evenings Thursdays to Saturdays (through Feb. 16), a kissing booth and plenty of places to capture photos with Valentine signs in the background.

Emrick assures the public that the city is not manning the kissing booth.

“So if someone’s charging for kisses, that’s not us,” he said.

Conway leaders hope the push will bring people throughout the year, and the city is on track to bring 2 million visitors to downtown this year.

To put that number into perspective, Emrick said 135,000 visited downtown in October 2017, compared to 235,000 in October 2024. (The city started its big Halloween celebrations in October 2022.)

During the Christmas season in 2017, Conway averaged just over 4,800 people per day during the week and over 7,800 per day on weekends in downtown.

In 2024, the city had 6,423 weekday visitors and 11,254 visitors downtown, staying over 90 minutes, Emrick said.

He said the goal isn’t to be known as a place to come for holidays and events, but a place to come throughout the year.

“And it’s working,” Emrick said.

City spokesperson June Wood said holidays are a time the city knows it can capitalize on additional visits.

“We believe that Conway has something for everyone and that after their first visit, they want to continue to come back to explore,” she said. “One trip to see decorations turns into the next week bringing their neighbors, family or friends. We frequently hear, ‘I can’t wait until my family is in town to see Conway.’”

Wood said the city is creating spaces and events to pair with restaurants and shopping experiences that locals from across the county can enjoy beyond the holidays.

“The holidays are creating exposure for the city and its businesses so that visitors to the area know they have to come check out Conway,” she said. “Beyond the holidays, our goal is to establish Conway as a year-round destination for dining, shopping and sightseeing. By continuously investing in our public spaces and events, we create an environment where both residents and visitors want to spend time—ultimately supporting local businesses and strengthening our economy.”

People coming downtown are not limited to folks who just want to shop and dine. Professionals want to be in the downtown area, too.

In 2019, there were 50 empty storefronts in downtown Conway, said Hillary Howard, executive director for Conway Downtown Alive.

That’s “obviously not the case” now, she said, adding there is a waiting list of 20-30 people who want a downtown building.

“The face of downtown has changed greatly,” she said. “We need more retail spaces.”

But the city isn’t hoping to attract too many professional-type businesses downtown. It doesn’t want to be a ghost town come 5 p.m.

It’s possible that city leaders could explore incentives to bring retail businesses to downtown Conway so that doesn’t happen. That discussion may happen at the city’s budget retreat in March.