MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The City of Myrtle Beach has said the upcoming HTC Aspire Hub is expected to bring a lot of energy to the Arts and Innovation District.

The sign for the co-working space was just installed on Thursday and teams are working on the final details before its scheduled opening in January.

“I looked at this street and it’s like a real downtown main street,” said Lauren Clever, executive director of the Downtown Redevelopment Corporation of Myrtle Beach. “And it’s exciting to see him come back to life.”

A big part of that coming back to life is the HTC Aspire Hub.

“It’s an entrepreneurship-based operation,” Clever said. “They will have the option of renting an office on a more permanent basis. There will be short term opportunities.

These opportunities will favor entrepreneurs and small businesses. It will feature technology, mentors and plenty of room for collaboration.

A group called eMYRge is configured to manage the space. HTC provided a grant of $ 250,000 to help carry out the project. Clever hopes this will advance the city’s economy.

“Entrepreneurs are very creative people,” Clever said. “They start from an idea. They are working very hard to make it a tangible thing and it might turn into a business somewhere. “

She hopes this will also help the Grand Strand retain more young people and families. It is also an important part of the Arts and Innovation district which is still in development.

“This is really our first effort to make sure the energy is good and positive, and we have the right companies here,” Clever said. “Because we want people. We want the lights to stay on. We want people to come in and out.

The city council is expected to vote next week on first reading of an ordinance approving eMYRge’s lease in the building. The second reading would take place in January, which would formalize almost everything. Count on News13 for updates.