Myrtle Beach teens will soon have a new place they can go to hang out, have fun and enjoy some uplifting entertainment—and Ground Zero will have a brand new place to call home.
A nonprofit teen outreach ministry that has been serving the Grand Strand since 2006, Ground Zero has been renovating the former Rivoli Theatre on Chester Street in Myrtle Beach since early 2012 to become an all-new Christian teen club.
With two-thirds of the work on the more than 18,000-foot facility complete, Ground Zero anticipates opening its doors within the next year, provided it is able to secure the support needed to complete the job.
“We are incredibly grateful for the donations we’ve received from the community so far,” said Scott Payseur, Ground Zero president and founder. “The City of Myrtle Beach is leasing the building to us for $1 per year, and The Hampton Inn and Suites Oceanfront has led the way with generous financial support over the past few years. We are currently welcoming contributions of time, expertise, skills and capital to help bring this project full circle.”
Founders Scott and Kimberly Payseur launched Ground Zero in June 1998 when they lived in Tennessee. After finding success in reaching teens through evangelistic events, the Payseurs decided to move Ground Zero to a place that is closer to their hearts and settled in the Grand Strand in 2006.
“My first full-time youth pastor job was here in Myrtle Beach,” shares Payseur. “I had an office that provided a bird’s-eye view of Myrtle Beach. I was in that position for several months before we moved to Tennessee. It always felt like my work wasn’t done here.”
Today, Ground Zero provides outreach ministry services in many Horry County schools, in addition to hosting concerts and keynote speaker events at several area churches. The organization also provides training services and events for local youth workers, further helping their mission of creating meaningful relationships within the local community.
For the past five years, Ground Zero has been behind the Dragon Boat Festival in Myrtle Beach. Through a partnership with the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and Premier Festivals, the organization has helped create Beach Blast, the area’s only Christian concert series. Beach Blast has been an annual tradition since its inception in 2010.
With the creation of this new teen club, Ground Zero is fulfilling another part of its vision: providing a venue that would allow teens a place to congregate in a safe, positively influenced environment. The former Rivoli Theatre is proving to be the ideal space for the café, stages, offices and activity areas the club will offer.
When renovations are complete, the new facility will offer a coffee bar with tables, chairs and additional seating centered around a bevy of flat-screen televisions; an open performance space that will host musicians, concerts and inspirational performances; two raised gaming areas overlooking the club; and other amenities including a retro-dinner style café. It will also serve as Ground Zero’s official headquarters, and house a self-contained store that will offer event-specific and general merchandise.
For more information about Ground Zero or to donate goods or services, contact Scott Payseur, at 843-497-0580 ext. 201.