Myrtle Beach in-line for new adventure

Sun News - A group of investors has signed a four-year lease with The Burroughs & Chapin Co., Inc, to use the smaller of the two former Pavilion sites along with a few acres on the South End of Myrtle Beach for two new zip-line adventure courses.  Adrenaline Adventures, a group of businessmen from Columbia, Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky, would like to have the new zip-line courses open by March 1. The city’s Community Appearance Board gave a nod to the conceptual plans, but no official approval or permits have been granted yet.  “We’re all very excited about this, but it’s still preliminary,” said architect Tom Miller of Miller Design Services in Myrtle Beach. His firm is tasked with designing the sales cabanas and zip-line towers around two themes: The former Pavilion site’s theme will be a “Carolina Beach-shabby-shack” theme, while the property on South Ocean Boulevard between Springmaid resort and Damon’s restaurant will have a “Swiss Family Robinson-tiki” theme.  The South Ocean Boulevard course will be named Ocean View Zip Line Adventures, and the course on the former Pavilion site will be called Myrtle Beach Adrenaline Adventures.  Morgan Armstrong of Columbia, one of Adrenaline Adventures’ principal members, said designs are still in the early stages, and Miller said everything will have to be cleared by structural engineers to make sure “it can stand in the real world.”  The courses will take zip-liners from tower to tower on very fast rides, Armstrong said.  “It’s going to be huge fun,” he said. “It’ll be like you’re flying.”  The city limits the height of the structures to 65 feet, and Armstrong said the plans are to “max that out.”  The company also plans a drop tower at each site, and a children’s zip-line course and play area at the larger South Ocean Boulevard site. Large drop towers have gondolas and carry many passengers, but Adrenaline Adventures’ towers will be more like big bungee jumps with passengers attached to a line that spools out as they descend.  Leasing the properties, he said, works for his company, B&C and the city, because it utilizes B&C’s property until the company decides what else it might want to do with it, brings a new attraction and more revenue to the city, and will hopefully be a moneymaker for Adrenaline Adventures.  “This is going to be a big attraction in Myrtle Beach, Armstrong said. “The drop towers will have people lined up around the block.”  Burroughs & Chapin said it does not comment on contractual matters.  Before construction can begin, the company must have all its plans OK’d by the appearance board and line up all the city building permits. The next appearance board meeting is Dec. 15, and Armstrong said if all goes well, construction could begin in late December or early January.  The Downtown Redevelopment Corporation wrote a letter to the city backing the project.  “We think it’s a good temporary addition to the downtown,” said Executive Director David Sebok. “We’re very supportive of it.”