A longstanding attraction of the Grand Strand is on shaky ground as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans baseball team wrestles with securing funding for renovations required by the MLB.
The MLB has mandated stadium improvements for its Minor League clubs, including Pelicans Ballpark located in downtown Myrtle Beach. The local team’s leaseholders, the city of Myrtle Beach and Horry County officials, have debated their options for ways to secure funding for the required improvements.
Although not officially on the docket for discussion, fans and employees of the Pelicans gathered at the city council meeting the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 24 to plead their case for why Pelicans Baseball is important for the city. One of these employees, Chuck Sawall, a seasonal pre-game announcer, on-field host and fan engagement director, spoke before the council to argue the benefits the team brings to Myrtle Beach.
“When you’re in negotiations, I ask that you consider the bigger picture of what might be lost if we lose the ballpark,” Sawall said.
The costs of the required improvements would need to be funded by both Horry County and the city of Myrtle Beach. Some Myrtle Beach citizens, however, were not on board with government funding being used to pay for these improvements.
Alex Fogel, a Myrtle Beach resident, was the lone speaker in opposition to funding the stadium at Tuesday’s city council meeting.
“The things we get distracted by are seldom as important as the things we get distracted from,” Fogel said.
Fogel went on to argue that the council must weigh the “nice-to-haves” versus the “need-to-haves,” speaking on the importance of city-funded initiatives which serve the homeless and those suffering from addiction.
“When advocates for the Pelicans come before you, don’t tell them ‘no,’ tell them ‘no for now,” he said.
Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune had little to say in response to the petitioners. During the meeting, Bethune said the city was “still in negotiations with [Pelicans] ownership as well as Horry County,” and “no contracts are negotiated publicly.”
Some fans, such as Dustin Ritter, were annoyed with the lack of communication from the city.
“The longer this goes on, the more the community feels like they’re not being heard,” Ritter, the last petitioner of the meeting, said.
Some in attendance argued that the team is an important draw for tourists. Shawn Kelley and Karen Albert have visited Myrtle Beach for over 50 years and have been season ticket holders since moving to the area in 2020.
“Every game we go to, we meet people from out of town,” Albert said.
The Pelicans’ Assistant General Manager Ryan Cannella told The Chanticleer he was unable to comment on this topic at the time. A common theme among those directly connected to the Pelicans is that there have been no public announcements regarding the stadium’s status on their official website or social media accounts.
Despite the importance the team holds with fans, how to pay for the facility improvements remains unresolved. In a Facebook post, city councilman Bill McClure outlined the potential costs of keeping the stadium, estimating the renovations could amount to a cost of as much as $1,000 per Myrtle Beach resident based on current population estimates.
