Horry County committee advances civic-center arena design, approves $729,607 schematic phase

A Horry County committee voted to advance schematic design for a proposed rural civic center arena, approving up to $729,607 to fund consultants and reimbursables needed to develop construction-level drawings and updated cost estimates. The committee recorded the motion, second and a voice vote in favor.

Consultants presented four development options and associated cost ranges during the meeting. Margaret Butler of MHM Architecture summarized the preferred full-build option and its price: “The projected cost for that complex, for that first space was, nearly 115,000,000.” That preferred scheme includes a roughly 139,000-square-foot arena with a 150-by-300-foot floor, a covered warm-up area, a 200-stall barn, a continuous concourse sized for expo booths, and fixed seating configured to accommodate about 3,800 patrons…