ATLANTIC BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Plans for a new high-rise hotel in Atlantic Beach are in flux while the property’s developer modifies a development proposal he previously submitted to town leaders.
Developer Charles Morant told News13 on Thursday that he has rescinded an earlier application but still plans to submit a modified proposal to town leaders by December.
Morant said he is modifying the development application because a piece of property across from the planned hotel that he had planned to buy and use for a parking lot was sold to someone else. As a result, Morant said he will modify the application to include parking on the property where he plans to build the high-rise.
Atlantic Beach Town Manager Benjamin Quattlebaum confirmed Thursday that Morant’s application had been rescinded but had no further comment.
Morant plans to build the high-rise hotel in an area between 30th and 31st avenues despite pushback from some people concerned about preserving the historical identity of the town. The location of the planned high-rise is in front of houses that have been in Atlantic Beach for more than 50 years.
Morant and the town are also named in a lawsuit that aims to block the project based on deed restrictions put in place by businessman George W. Tyson in the 1930s and 40s.
In July, the Atlantic Beach town council approved an ordinance that would allow any developer interested in building in Atlantic Beach to submit a proposal to town leaders without having actual ownership of a piece of property. Previously, Quattlebaum said a developer could not submit a formal proposal to town leaders unless they already owned the property.
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Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
