MYRTLE BEACH — A deal to keep the Pelicans in Myrtle Beach appears to be imploding after Horry County officials proposed tying airport funding and an entertainment district to a new stadium lease for the minor league baseball team. Myrtle Beach City Council voted May 13 for a 30-year lease to ensure the Chicago Cubs’ Single-A affiliate continues playing at Pelicans Ballpark beyond this season. But any lease is contingent upon support from Horry County Council. The city owns 70 percent of the 21st Avenue North stadium while the county controls 30 percent. Both the city and county had agreed to the initial framework for a lease, but earlier this month county leaders introduced an additional agreement that required certain concessions from the city, including restoring funding for Myrtle Beach International Airport. City officials balked at those terms and did not include them in the documents they approved. “We are more than willing to discuss any other deals that are going to be beneficial to the county and the city of Myrtle Beach,” Myrtle Beach City Councilman Bill McClure said. “There’s no question about that. But we’re not going to include it in the lease. The lease needs to be clean. It’s about the new lease for the Pelicans. … We’re not budging on this.” Although county officials have said they would like to keep baseball at the beach, they have long wanted to get out of the stadium business. Some are opposed to putting more public money into the ballpark. “Why are we giving them anything?” Horry County Councilman Gary Loftus said of the Pelicans. “Let me point something out. We have got a baseball team here in Horry County that’s kicking ass, and the tickets are kind of cheap, and we don’t have to pay them a damn dime. (They’re) called Coastal Carolina.”
Jointly-owned stadium creates headaches The Pelicans’ original lease expired in 2018, and the city, county and team agreed to a series of extensions, all the while discussing the possibility of a long-term solution. When Major League Baseball mandated stadium improvements in 2020, that presented an opportunity for the county. Local officials have said they must reach a deal that would allow them to complete the required renovations by the start of the 2026 season or the Pelicans would likely leave Myrtle Beach. They’ve said Major League Baseball wants a firm commitment by the end of the month. Under the proposed 30-year lease, the Pelicans’ rent would increase from $150,000 per year to $750,000 for the first 10 years, $850,000 for years 11-20 and $950,000 for the final decade, ending in 2055. A new per-ticket fee would help offset the cost of maintenance and capital expenses, according to city records.
