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Surfside Beach, S.C. (WMBF) - The town of Surfside Beach is one step closer to opening the pier destroyed in 2016 by Hurricane Matthew.

Town leaders met on Monday evening during the pier committee meeting. According to town officials, the intent of that meeting was to ensure all parties involved are on the same page.

According to the Mayor of Surfside Beach Bob Hellyer, the number one priority is to get construction on the pier finished so the city can take over.

While finishing construction would mark the end of one part of the process, Hellyer said there’s still more work to be done. This is something Public Works Director John Adair agrees with.

“As the construction company finishes off their checklist, we’re preparing,” said Adair. “The public space is ready for public occupancy as far as trash cans, bait stations, and fishing rod holders. All sorts of things you might expect to have.”

The rebuilding of the pier has been an ongoing project for more than three years. Last year, the town created a committee to help plan the pier. The committee is chaired by Robert Krouse.

Krouse said the purpose of the committee is to plan what will happen after the pier opens.

“We looked at the businesses that are coming in here and have been working with the town on those issues,” said Krouse.

Krouse continued to say that wait might soon be over.

“We should have people on there before the end of the season. At least to walk and maybe fish,” said Krouse.

But those hoping to shop along the pier might have to wait a little bit longer.

“The retail spaces will not open on day one of the pier being open for people to walk,” said Adair.

Nonetheless, Surfside Beach’s mayor said he’s excited to see the finish line in sight.

“This was a project that was supposed to take a year and a half and it’s been over three,” said Mayor Hellyer. “So yeah, we’re excited about being so close,” he continued.

Krouse also said the pier will be free to visit for the first 12 months. The town will then re-evaluate how much the pier is bringing in. The hope though, is to keep the pier free for all to enjoy.

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The much-anticipated Surfside Beach pier is closer to completion and has several new safety features.

Originally built in 1953, Surfside’s pier has been a part of the coastal town’s identity for half a century. It’s been rebuilt three times because of storm damage.

In 2016, powerful winds from Hurricane Matthews sheared off half its 800-foot-long walkway and closed it indefinitely.

Construction is shooting to be done around Aug. 8, according to Surfside Beach Fire Chief Rob Clemons. But it could be longer for the pier to be open to the public.

They don’t have much left, he said.

Construction of the pier came to halt twice in October after two stop work orders were issued 10 days apart due to design conflicts and licensing oversights.

The new and improved pier is built to last — with infrastructure that will be able to withstand hurricane force winds, according to John O’ Brien.

“I know everyone wants it done yesterday, but it’s done right,” he said.

O’Brien said he didn’t expect any more delays.

Included in the final stages are putting in stainless steel handrails, about 60 more pieces of furniture for the pier and pressure washing.

One of the biggest differences in the new pier is it’s strength. The pier itself is ten feet higher, and designed to take wave impact 15 feet above the deck, O’Brien said.

There is also an elevator and an ADA ramp. Out on the deck, there is turtle-friendly lighting, fishing tables, and a sprinkler system.

Some business have already leased on the property. In one building just outside the deck will be a Painters Ice Cream location. The former Surf Diner has already leased the largest building as well.

The structure itself is designed to last 50 years, he said. If a hurricane hits, the deck may suffer damage but the structure itself wouldn’t. All that might need replacing is parts of the deck.

City officials gathered at the pier Friday afternoon to tour the pier. Mayor Bob Hellyer said the pier has had many delays in the past, but that he was looking forward to having it full of people.

“Before, it wobbled,” Surfside Beach Mayor Bob Hellyer said. “This one ain’t wobbling.”

SURFSIDE BEACH — Most of Surfside Beach’s long-delayed pier project should be finished by the end of August, town officials said.

Since Hurricane Matthew decimated the pier in 2016, the rebuilding schedule has been pushed back at least four times. Most recently, town officials had said the $18 million-plus project would be finished by Aug. 8.

“The pier is gorgeous,” Surfside Beach Mayor Bob Hellyer said. “When everybody sees it, they’ll see the amount of work that got put into it and why it took so long.”

John Adair, the town’s public works director, told Town Council on Aug. 8 that the pier contractors are installing handrails, completing a parking lot and going through several third-party inspections.

“Our entire team feels pretty good about the end of the month being able to let people on the pier, at least to walk,” Adair said. “We’re hoping that takes place.”

When finished, the new pier will be the only oceanfront concrete pier in South Carolina. The Folly Beach pier outside of Charleston reopened in January after it was renovated, with the original wood pilings replaced by concrete supports, which are expected to last 65 to 75 years, according to town officials.

The Surfside Beach Pier will be approximately the same length as the old wooden one, 800 feet, but will be nine feet taller at 25 feet.

Hellyer said the most recent delay came from needing to coordinate with third-party inspectors on several pier areas, such as the elevator and fire alarm. He said the new completion date is expected to be a soft-opening. The town hopes to hold an official grand opening in the coming months.

The project was previously delayed due to issues involving siding panels, handrails and design modifications, as well as the concrete pilings under the pier, according to town officials.

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Town Councilman Chris Stamey suggested at the Aug. 8 meeting that the council start penalizing contractors if they do not abide by the scheduled completion dates.

“It’s bothered me all along,” Stamey said. “These people keep moving the date, and we as council don’t set a date and stick to it and we just keep letting them move it. If we had stuck to a date, we would have had a pier.”

Hellyer disagreed, saying in an interview with The Post and Courier that penalizing the contractor would further delay the process.

“If the problem was because of the contractor, because the contractor did not do the work in a timely manner, then I would take care of that when they submitted their bill,” Hellyer said, referring to when the project is completed.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency provided $9.5 million for the pier project, with the town covering the rest of the cost.

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SURFSIDE BEACH — A new eatery opened last month, bringing Filipino fusion cuisine to the forefront while stoking the entrepreneurial dream for two longtime friends.

The Manila Grille on U.S. 17 Business in Surfside Beach offers traditional Filipino fare with a twist in a casual setting and features favorites like lumpia (Filipino egg rolls), adobo (marinated chicken or pork), pancit (noodles) and much more, including a layered dessert called halo-halo and stateside options like burgers and wings.

“We’re super casual, like a food truck but with a cool place to sit and eat,” said co-owner Michael Martin, who painted a colorful mural on one side of the restaurant well in advance of the restaurant’s April opening.

Martin, 44, has been cooking Filipino comfort food since he was 14. His mother is from Manila, and the lion’s share of the recipes are hers and his grandmother’s. He has long wanted to share these with the world and has tweaked these recipes for consistency. Some items are his own, like the Low Country Lumpia (breakfast pork sausage and cheddar cheese) and more.

“I made jalapeno pierogi lumpia this weekend,” he said. “Dipped in sour cream, they’re delicious.”

Martin said he and co-owner Matt Lamb have been building the restaurant for more than a year. A major setback was the replacement of the hood system.

“Supply chain issues caused steel shortages, which held up the manufacturing of our new hood, Martin said.

The response from the community after opening has been supportive, Martin said.

“We’ve had a lot of repeat customers, and I’ve met more Filipinos in the past four weeks than in the past 10 years I have lived here. Everyone wants to come out and try the food,” he said. “We’re stoked about getting my mom’s food and the culture’s food out to people who haven’t tried it.”

Over the past two decades, Lamb has operated several business from landscaping and carpet cleaning to pizza and video rentals. For him, the fusion component has to do with the food as well as his business relationship with Martin.

“Mike’s had this idea his entire life. He has always wanted to cook Filipino food. He had the ideas and the recipes. I had the knowledge and the money and we came together to make it work,” Lamb said. “It’s just us. No outside money, no nothing. We’ve been doing it slowly and the right way.”

With the exception of Lamb’s teenage daughter Addy Lamb working occasionally for tips, The Manila Grille is currently a two-man show.

“It’s like Five Guys, but there’s only two guys,” Martin said.

A business called Coastal Escape Rooms is directly next door to The Manila Grille. Co-owners and brothers Gunnar Grossetti and Thomas Grossetti have become regular customers.

“It smells amazing while we’re working, so we’re hungry all day. I love the barbeque pork skewers. They are fantastic,” Gunnar Grossetti said.

Myrtle Beach resident Lisa Hardesty is another repeat customer.

“We don’t have anything like this around here, so it’s nice to have something different — and the fact that it’s so fresh. That’s why we keep coming back,” she said.

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Surfside Beach leaders have always had a fragile relationship with its pier committee.

Now, they have none at all.

A recent vote by town council to suspend the volunteer group on Aug. 8 came shortly after members learned there’s still no grand opening date for the closely watched, multi-million dollar project.

Officials said the committee could be reinstated once the pier is opened.

“The realistic time is, there is no time,” council member Chris Stamey said during the council meeting Aug. 8. “It bothers me. It’s bothered me all along. Set a date and stick to it. If we had a set a date, we’d done have a pier by now.”

In October, a pair of stop-work orders issued over design conflicts and licensing oversights slowed construction, though both were lifted within a matter of days.

Public works director John Adair said Aug. 8 crews are hopeful the pier will be ready for walkers by August’s end, but an official grand opening likely won’t take place until mid way through next year. He ran through a punch list of ongoing work:

Surfside’s pier has been a part of the coastal town’s identify for a half century. Initially built in 1953, it was rebuilt three times because of storm damage.

In 2016, powerful winds from Hurricane Matthews sheared off half its 800-foot-long walkway and closed it indefinitely.

FEMA awarded the town $15 million in 2021 to pay for the pier’s upgrades, but the costs have climbed to roughly $20 million.

To help make up the difference, the town implemented a new parking policy that put meters at all beaches and converted one-hour parking along Surfside Drive from Hollywood to Pinewood drives to paid.

Despite the setbacks, Surfside Beach resident Patricia Magliette said she’s willing to be patient as the pier work continues.

“We are still going to have a concrete pier, and even though you don’t like the fact it took so long to build, with any blessing this concrete pier’s never going to come down again,” she said. “It needs to be done right.”

This story was originally published August 10, 2023, 1:15 PM.