Faces Of The Grand Strand - Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance

April 2023
Written By: 
Grand Strand Magazine Staff
Photographs by: 
Scott Smallin

(Pictured L:-R): Alec Hersch, Project Assistant, MBDA; Kenya Rice, COO, MBDA; Ann Brittain LeMay, local business owner, BLVD Group; Amy Barrett, CEO, MBDA; Tory Mackey, Executive Director, Chapin Foundation; Tonya Gore, Director of Community Enhancement and Design, MBDA 

Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance is a 501(c)(3) place management organization dedicated to the revitalization of the city’s downtown area. MBDA is committed to strengthening both the public and private sectors’ commitment to, and collaboration around, revitalizing downtown and diversifying the Myrtle Beach economy.

The nonprofit is overseen by a board of directors consisting of business and property owners in the downtown area, representatives of regional nonprofit partner organizations, elected public officials, and city staff. MBDA seeks to support and nurture a downtown Myrtle Beach that’s economically competitive, vibrant, connected, and inclusive. This will allow Myrtle Beach to be an even better place to live, work & visit.

This year, MBDA will be working with our partners to encourage residential development in downtown; we need more people to live downtown and love it! Simultaneously, we are planning an exciting calendar of events and programs that will give residents and visitors even more reasons to come downtown: Nights at Nance, First Friday Art Walks, and more street festivals, just to name a few!

MBDA is the only nonprofit focused exclusively on downtown Myrtle Beach. We work hand-in-hand with other partners, but our focus on creating a vibrant and exciting downtown is what differentiates us from other organizations. 

The Chapin Foundation has provided 75 years of dedicated services to the improvement of the livelihood of people in Myrtle Beach. Simeon B. Chapin was a man of faith, vision and action who cared about people and built programs and institutions to make their lives and communities better.

MBDA has really developed a loyal following for our Nights at Nance series. Every other Thursday from March 9 through June 1, we will host a band and food trucks in Nance Plaza in the heart of the Myrtle Beach Arts and Innovation District. Friends and families bring lawn chairs, dance and eat great food. We are lucky to have great partners like Grand Strand Brewing, the City of Myrtle Beach, local musical talent, and delicious and creative food truck vendors that make these evenings special community events. 

This year, we will be working with the City of Myrtle Beach’s Cultural Resources Committee to bring new murals and new bike racks to downtown Myrtle Beach. These small but exciting art installations will help show off local talent as well as our love of downtown to all who visit.

During the winter holidays, we worked with business owners and the city to make sure our Historic Broadway District felt festive and inviting for residents and visitors alike. We worked with Blink! Lighting to string twinkle lights throughout the district. We received so much positive feedback on the lights, we have decided to leave them up all year long.
We have had so many new businesses locate to downtown or either make announcements, we feel that is meaningful recognition from entrepreneurs and business owners that what MBDA is doing is resonating with the small business community. In addition to our great legacy downtown businesses — El Rey Del Taco, Crazy Mexican, Winna’s Kitchen, Vietnam House, Sun City Cafe and many more — this year we will be joined by Lucid Candle, Boteco Latin Restaurant, Good Vibes Surf Shop, Swig and Swine BBQ, and many more.

Please go to our website and sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up with all the changes coming to downtown Myrtle Beach!

Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance
522-A Broadway Street
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Phone: (843) 516-5436
mbdowntown.org

Resources: