A new family-friendly entertainment center is coming to the Southport area.
Brunswick County Planning Board members on Aug. 11 approved a rezoning application that allows for a new fun center to be built at 8573 River Road SE, right outside of Southport city limits.
Oak Island residents Ross and Jessica O’Donovan requested to rezone the currently vacant, 3.30-acre property from commercial low density and industrial general zoning to rural residential conditional zoning.
Ross O’Donovan told StarNews they have never owned a business, but noticed the area has a “lack of family friendly recreation options,” despite the county’s rapid growth. He said they decided to buy the property and turn it into a place where families can make memories.
“It just seems like a fun business and so we decided to take the leap,” Ross O’Donovan said.
What is being built?
Shore Shots will be an outdoor recreational center that features an 18-hole mini-golf course, 18-hole cornhole course, beach volleyball and 60-70 parking spaces. The submitted site plan also outlines spaces for outdoor movies, food trucks and concessions.
The cornhole course will be a beach-themed obstacle challenge, Ross O’Donovan said.
The site plan shows the site being outdoors with a ticket building. Future plans for the site include additional sport courts such as pickleball, bocce and croquet, per the application.
Conditions for building Shore Shots
The county and developer agreed upon several conditions for the site. Some of the regular conditions include: complying with all applicable federal, state, and local requirements, and obtaining stormwater permits before developing the property.
The new facility is to be built near existing offices and new residential homes. Ten to 25-foot buffers will enclose the property. At the property owners discretion, Shore Shots lighting “shall” be minimized when closed overnight to minimize lighting impact on adjacent properties, according to the staff report conditions.
If agreed upon conditions are violated, the property owner will be in violation of the county’s unified development ordinance and all permits would be subject to revocation and any other enforcement actions available by law.
Next steps
Full plan approval is part of the permitting process, said Ross O’Donovan, noting the project will not be before the planning board again.
Conditional zoning approval does not constitute an authorization to construct.
The owners are now working to obtain building permits with hopes to open by summer 2026. Once permits are issued and they are ready to build, Ross O’Donovan said he expects site construction to take about four months.
Giving local and visiting families the opportunity to enjoy family time outdoors is what the owners are most excited about, Ross O’Donovan said.
“I want people in Brunswick County to be excited about a new option – just a new option to come and have fun and make memories,” Ross O’Donovan said.
As long as the temperature is over 55 degrees, Ross O’Donovan said Shore Shots will be open all year-round. The facility will also be a location to host birthday parties and corporate events, he added.
The owners plan to create a website and Facebook page by January 2026 to keep the community updated on site progress, grand opening plans and daily operations.
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Savanna Tenenoff covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at [email protected].
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.starnewsonline.com ’
