“The property owners have invested their hearts and hard earned money into this city. We are paying taxes and insurance along with the mortgages. It’s not human to know that the market is asking for apples and the city demands that we sell oranges. The mayor should put her feet in our shoes (for once). She has destroyed Kings Highway. It is like a ghost town, and she laughs about it. Shame on her…Shame on her… Do the right thing and open up the market like our North Myrtle Beach Mayor has.” downtown property owner Tuvia Wilkes
MyrtleBeachSC news reported on Thursday that the Shoney’s located at 1206 South Kings Hwy was closed. The business had, in-fact, been temporarily closed for interior improvements.
A spokesman working with corporate called to inform us the business had been temporarily closed for minor remodeling and improvements. We are informed the business is now re-opened and will begin regular store hours beginning immediately.
This morning, we went by that Shoney’s and took the above featured picture. Cars were in the parking lot and diners were eating inside.
On our way South from the Myrtle Beach Post Office heading towards Market Common, however, we counted a total of seven properties along Highway 17 that continue to be closed for from three to five years and longer.
The just above restaurant just South of Harrelson Boulevard on Hwy 17 has had no tenant since shortly after May 28, 2004, when the former owner was sued by the NAACP for closing on what is known as Black Bike Weekend. (Memorial Day weekend) Read about that lawsuit here:
https://thetandd.com/business/naacp-sues-four-grand-strand-restaurants/article_4aeda056-e025-564a-9730-8c0361845256.html
The previous owner has since deceased and the property was sold. The current owner, Tuvia Wilkes, owns many downtown properties in Myrtle Beach. Offers to lease the above restaurant property are ongoing. The city continually finds varying reasons why Wilkes’ several properties can not be leased, depending upon whom the particular tenant wanting to rent the property is each time.
Wilkes has joined in a lawsuit, against the city, with a core of downtown merchants concerning an overlay district on Ocean Boulevard in which the city is restricting those owners’ rights to sell legal products sold throughout the rest of the town.
This, now closed, par 3 golf course is permanently closed. The owners did not speculate on what they planned to do with the real estate when the course closed in 2017. However, questions remain as to why they would not choose to run the par 3 until conditions are agreeable to build on the property. The par 3 will have been closed for 2 years this October. Read about this closure here:
https://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/sports/golf/article177231561.html
In that same general area sits a former Wings Beachware store warehouse. Tenants have asked to lease the property, but the city states it no longer wants a warehouse at that location. This property is also owned by Tuvia Wilkes.
When we wrote our article on Thursday, listing the Circle K on 17th and the then closed Shoney’s, several of our readers stated that the city of Myrtle Beach bore no responsibility with the many empty and abandoned properties inside the city limits.
The Circle K, a few commented, was simply a poorly run convenience store. Perhaps so, however, this does not explain the 123 empty store fronts city-wide.
Like so many downtown small merchants, Wilkes believes the city is waging a war on small business capitalism. Merchants complain that free markets in Myrtle Beach do not exist.
Said Wilkes, “The property owners have invested their hearts and hard earned money into this city. We are paying taxes and insurance along with the mortgages. It’s not human to know that the market is asking for apples and the city demands that we sell oranges. The mayor should put her feet in our shoes ( for once ). She has destroyed Kings Highway. It is like a ghost town, and she laughs about it. Shame on her…Shame on her… Do the right thing and open up the market like our North Myrtle Beach Mayor has.“