This week, Horry County will begin construction on its newest facilities for Carolina Forest - a new recreation center and a new library.
Both will complement the new Palmetto Adventure Land Playground, a community-built effort that opened in recent weeks.
The county is planning a groundbreaking ceremony at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the site on Carolina Forest Boulevard, just in front of the new playground, which is about a mile from where Carolina Forest Boulevard meets River Oaks Drive.
County spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier gathered information from other county staff members and answered questions about the new facilities:
Question | How long has the county been planning to open these facilities in Carolina Forest?
Answer | The idea of building community centers at the various parks existed in 2004. We developed the "prototype community center" in 2004-05, and that's what we used for Bucksport. The $12 million bond [issuance] was approved in 2008 to cover North Strand, Carolina Forest and South Strand Recreation Centers at $4 million each.
The libraries were in the Capital Improvement Plan and started with the construction of the North Myrtle Beach Library in 2008, with Carolina Forest Library and Surfside Beach Library expansion close behind. A $12 million bond [issuance] for these was approved at the same time as the recreation center bond.
Q. | How will they complement the new Palmetto Adventure Land playground?
A. | Having all of these facilities on one large parcel makes it quite convenient for the public to enjoy different types of amenities.
Q. | How long will construction take?
A. | Standard recreation center construction contract duration is 14 months. Standard library construction contract duration is 12 months.
Q. | How much will the two facilities cost to build?
A. | Each have a budget of $4 million.
Q. | What kinds of services will people have access to at the recreation center?
A. | Youth/adult basketball, volleyball, a variety of exercise and fitness classes, special events like daddy-daughter dances, fall festivals, senior programs, a variety of arts and crafts classes, summer camp and after-school programs. It will also be available for rentals.
Q. | Will there be anything new about this library that people will be especially interested in?
A. | This library will be almost identical to the new NMB library. The big features that make this new facility better for delivering library services are really the designated areas for children, young adults, computing, and of course the large stack areas for fiction and nonfiction.
Q. | Is the county able to take advantage of the lower construction prices that have marked the current economic slump?
A. | Yes, we are getting good bid prices and a good level of competition, but it's not only because contractors are short of work. All of our current active contractors have plenty of other projects under way right now, and some have a pretty good backlog also.
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