There's no time like Christmas for wish lists. Everyone's got one, and the city of Myrtle Beach and those working on downtown redevelopment are no different.

"Downtown needs to be a destination. It was once," city spokesman Mark Kruea said. "It's the oldest part of the community, and the idea is to revitalize it and make it so it can compete with The Market Common and Broadway at the Beach and be a destination again all on its own."

When Myrtle Beach set up the tax-increment-financing district - one part of a multi-pronged approach to fund a rejuvenated downtown - it had to include a list of all projects it would like to accomplish in the city's core because to add projects later would mean starting the process over again.

While many people hope the first priority - the mile-long boardwalk between First and 14th avenues North - will become the city's iconic feature, others say projects that fall further down the list could be just as vital, such as updated gateways into the city, streetscaping and more parking.

There's no timeline for these projects, and the city has not issued any bonds for construction, even for the boardwalk, because of the economic downturn and an unfavorable bond market. But the city has said it wants to be ready to jump in when the market warms up.

In the meantime, there's no harm in thinking about the future.

Ocean Boulevard facelift

One of the next logical priorities, said Downtown Redevelopment Corp. Executive Director David Sebok, is a facelift for Ocean Boulevard. Plans to bury utility lines, improve the streetscape and update pedestrian accessibility would be phased in.

Much of the area south of Sixth Avenue South was updated as large properties redeveloped, Sebok said, and the city has completed streetscaping and utility-line work from Ninth Avenue North to about 31st Avenue North. Plans for the area between Ninth Avenue North and Withers Swash are already being developed.

Projected cost of all phases | $22.3 million

Fourth Avenue North outfall

The city has spent more than $30 million in the past six or seven years on ocean outfalls to help with stormwater management - a major priority for the city council.

"It's such a mammoth undertaking, we have to do it piecemeal," said Councilman Phil Render.

"It's one of the more pressing needs." The Fourth Avenue North outfall will complement other deep-water drains at 25th Avenue South, 14th and 53rd avenues north that keep stormwater from pouring out on the beaches themselves.

Projected cost | $8 million

Avenue gateways

The area between Kings Highway and the ocean at Third Avenue South and Ninth Avenue North could be more pedestrian friendly, Sebok said, and prettier. Plans call for remodeling them similar to the same area on Mr. Joe White Avenue, which was renovated at the beginning of the decade at the same time the S.C. Department of Transportation widened and groomed Mr. Joe White Avenue from Kings Highway to U.S. 17 Bypass into a major Myrtle Beach arterial.

The Third Avenue South gateway will likely come first, as the DOT is already working on plans to widen and renovate the street from Kings Highway to U.S. 501.

Projected cost for Third Avenue South gateway: $3.1 million; projected cost for Ninth Avenue North gateway | $2.4 million

Traffic recommendations

The Downtown Myrtle Beach Traffic Circulation study released this spring offers a lot of suggestions for improvements. But the area at Kings Highway and Ninth Avenue North, between the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park site and around the Super Block, demands extreme measures, including realigning streets, the study says. Traffic doesn't flow smoothly, it's dangerous for pedestrians and doesn't tempt people to stop and shop on the Super Block, the study indicates.

The as-yet-unveiled redevelopment of the former Pavilion site is certain to be a catalyst in reworking the area, because traffic measures and other street updates have to tie in, Sebok said.

Projected cost | $6.5 million

Parking garages

The overall goal of all these projects is to create more economic health than already exists in downtown Myrtle Beach, and that means bringing and retaining more tourists.

Many people say some kind of mass transit is necessary, but people are still going to drive in to the beach and need places to park. The plans call for garages at Fourth and Seventh avenues north, Withers Drive and Mr. Joe White Avenue.

Projected cost for all | $46.1 million

Oceanfront parks

Three parks like Plyler Park along the ocean would simply be added enhancement to one of the city's largest parks - the beach. "Our philosophy is to get as much park space as you can because it's only made once," Jimmy Walters, director of the city's cultural and leisure services department, has said.

They would be spots for downtown festivals, music and general hanging out. Sebok has said the city is looking at specific areas for beachside parks, at 16th Avenue North, Third Avenue South and First Avenue North, but whether those ideas pan out largely depends on how those areas are redeveloped.

Projected cost for three parks | $1.8 million

Special projects

Think of these as the finishing touches - public art, support for special attractions and maybe even a trolley line that would carry people along the beach. "Once you get some of the critical elements accomplished, you can polish the jewel," Sebok said.

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