Central Coast complex breaks ground in Carolina Forest

CAROLINA FOREST, S.C. (WBTW) — A groundbreaking was held Wednesday for the new Horry County Central Coast complex.

The complex will be located off of Hinson Drive in Carolina Forest, near International Drive. Officials say the facility is just the beginning of things to come in Horry County.

“This groundbreaking for the Central Coast complex is our new possibility today,” said Barry Spivey, an Horry County assistant administrator.

The funding for the project was approved back in 2021. The one-story facility will be 43,000 square feet and will cost about $20 million.

It will be home to several types of administrative and court spaces, as well as a fifth county police precinct.

“Having this fifth precinct here allows us to reduce the size of the precincts of the other four,” said Randall Webster, an Horry County assistant administrator of public safety.

Horry County’s new magistrate courts will also be in the facility, which officials say will help have court in a more timely manner.

“We have over 400,000 residents in Horry County as we sit here today and that number is growing every day,” Spivey said. “We’re grateful to be able to expand our services as this location is central and convenient to most of the population of Horry County.”

Horry County Councilman Dennis DiSabato spoke about how proud he is of what they’ve been able to accomplish.

“It’s been a challenge in trying to provide services for that community that grew as rapidly as it has,” he said. “But I think we have done a yeoman’s job in the last seven, eight years.”

The construction is expected to take about 15 months. Officials hope the complex will be completed in spring 2025.