News Title:Lauderdale Bay seeks extension for 40-unit condo expansion along Myrtle Beach’s Intracoastal
A South Florida-inspired waterfront enclave
There are two distinctive Intracoastal Waterway communities in Myrtle Beach that are ideally positioned along the waterway and accessed from Highway 17 – Lauderdale Bay Estates and Lauderdale Bay. Together, the neighboring communities create a unique waterfront enclave with a character that feels more reminiscent of South Florida than traditional Myrtle Beach.
Even the names and street layout hint at that influence. Dania Beach Drive, which runs parallel to the Intracoastal Waterway through Lauderdale Bay Estates, takes its name from Dania Beach, Florida, while other streets in the Lauderdale Bay area carry names associated with South Florida destinations, including Las Olas, Venice, Pompano and Delray. The Florida-inspired theme fits particularly well with the communities' waterfront setting, boating lifestyle and Mediterranean-influenced architecture.
Lauderdale Bay Estates
Lauderdale Bay Estates is a private, gated community tucked just off Highway 17 and directly along the Intracoastal Waterway. The community is bordered by the gated Lauderdale Bay condominium community to the north and the Harbour Town community of 155 single-family homes to the south. Across the Intracoastal Waterway is Arrowhead Country Club, providing a scenic backdrop for the waterfront homes.
Inside Lauderdale Bay Estates, Dania Beach Drive follows the shoreline, with Mediterranean-style homes lining the waterfront. Homes along the Intracoastal Waterway feature rear yards directly alongside the water, creating an especially intimate connection to the waterway.
Every two waterfront lots can share a dock, and docks can accommodate up to two boat lifts, making the community particularly attractive to homeowners who want direct access to the Intracoastal.
The community is also growing. A second phase (Phase 2) of Lauderdale Bay Estates, consisting of 26 additional single-family homes, is currently being developed. Once completed, the expansion will bring the Lauderdale Bay Estates community to 98 single-family homes.
Immediately next door is Lauderdale Bay, the condominium community that shares the same waterfront setting and South Florida-inspired identity.
The gated community consists of 60 three- and four-bedroom condominiums, all located directly along the Intracoastal Waterway.
One of Lauderdale Bay's most distinctive features is the size of its waterfront balconies. Many of the condominiums feature expansive 30- to 40-foot balconies overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, giving residents an unusually broad outdoor living space with direct water views.
The Lauderdale Bay Yacht Club sits immediately outside the condominium community and adds another dimension to the area's boating-oriented lifestyle. Membership in the yacht club is required for Lauderdale Bay homeowners who own a boat slip in the marina.
Boat slips are restricted to Lauderdale Bay homeowners. All of the slips have been sold, although they periodically become available for purchase through resale by existing owners.
A proposed expansion of Lauderdale Bay, one of Myrtle Beach's distinctive Intracoastal Waterway communities, is moving through Horry County’s planning process as the developer seeks additional time to preserve its development rights for a planned 40-unit condominium phase.
The Horry County Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the request on September 3, 2026, for a one-year extension of vested rights for Lauderdale Bay Phase 3. If approved, the extension would preserve the project's current vested rights through September 9, 2027, allowing additional time for the proposed development to move forward.
The proposed Phase 3 of Lauderdale Bay consists of an additional two multifamily buildings, each containing 20 two-bedroom units, along with an amenity area and swimming pool. If ultimately developed as approved, the expansion would add 40 units to the existing Lauderdale Bay condominium community.
That would bring the total Lauderdale Bay condominium community to 100 units – the existing 60 three- and four-bedroom condominiums plus the 40 proposed two-bedroom units.
Why the Phase 3 extension is important now
The Phase 3 project was originally approved on September 9, 2024. The initial two-year vested-rights period is scheduled to expire on September 9, 2026, prompting the request now before the Planning Commission.
The request represents the project's first one-year extension. Under Horry County's Land Development Regulations, vested rights may be extended in one-year increments, with extensions limited to a maximum total vested period of seven years. If the current request is approved, four additional one-year extensions would remain available to the applicant.
Vested rights provide developers with greater certainty when pursuing projects that can require substantial investments in site evaluation, planning, architecture and engineering, consultants and other pre-construction work. South Carolina's Vested Rights Act, adopted by the Legislature in 2004, was designed in part to protect qualifying development projects from certain subsequent regulatory changes while preserving local government oversight.
For Lauderdale Bay Phase 3, the requested extension would essentially give the developer additional time to advance the approved plans without losing the development rights already established for the project.
If the Phase 3 development is ultimately constructed, Lauderdale Bay would become a 100-unit condominium community, adding another 40 residences to an already distinctive waterfront setting.
Together, Lauderdale Bay Estates and Lauderdale Bay represent one of the more unusual residential enclaves along the Myrtle Beach Intracoastal – combining direct waterway access, private docks and boat slips with Mediterranean-style homes, expansive balconies and a distinctly South Florida-inspired character.
And with both Lauderdale Bay Estates continuing to expand and Lauderdale Bay Phase 3 seeking additional time to move forward, this small waterfront enclave is still evolving.
From a market perspective, the Lauderdale Bay condominiums continue to attract considerable interest among buyers seeking larger waterfront condominiums. Horry County records, as of the end of August 2026, show that eight units have sold in 2026, with the average sale price approaching $400,000. With roughly 60 condominiums in the community, that represents a notable level of turnover for an established waterfront development and suggests continued demand for the combination of Intracoastal Waterway views, spacious floor plans and a gated setting.