Learning from DC BLOX Cable Landing Station in Myrtle Beach: 9-26-26 Podcast

Real Estate Matters has been Palm Coast and Flagler County, Florida’s real estate voice for more than 12 years.

The DC BLOX cable landing station (CLS) in Myrtle Beach is three years old.  Real Estate Matters Toby Tobin, with guest John Phillips, president and CEO of the Palm Coast-Flagler Chamber of Commerce, interviewed Sandy Davis, president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation. We wanted to separate facts from fiction. 

Here’s what we learned:

Like our CLS, the Myrtle Beach facility has a closed-loop water-cooling system with an estimated usage equivalent to 5 single-family homes.

Noise is not a problem.

Electric rates did not rise.

DC BLOX is a good neighbor, sponsoring local functions and keeping in touch with local residents.

An expansion was recently approved without objections from either politicians or nearby residents. The expansion will accommodate up to ten cables.

Without a well-staffed, well-funded regional economic development initiative, Palm Coast and Flagler County are unlikely to break the current cycle of urban sprawl, which creates few local employment opportunities and overreliance on residential real estate taxes. 

Watch the Podcast and read the Show Notes below for more details.

Be sure to check out the continually updated interactive Flagler County Map of Developments and Subdivisions.

Raw Show Notes

Our behind-the-scenes guide to the show’s flow, including topics we didn’t have time to cover. This is raw and likely contains typos. Data reflects the show’s recording date.

Show Notes for 9-26-2026

Recorded 9-24-2026

Welcome to the tranquil side of Florida. This is Real Estate Matters, the voice of real estate in Flagler County and Palm Coast for more than 12 years.

I’m Toby Tobin, publisher of the real estate news website GoToby.com, and a Florida-licensed Realtor with Grand Living Realty. I’m joined by Co-host Annamaria Long from the Flagler Homebuilders Association, one of our sponsors.

Thanks to Our Sponsors:

Flagler County Home Builders Association

Hammock Community Church

Guests: John Phillips, President and CEO of the Palm Coast – Flagler Chamber of Commerce

Sandy Davis – President and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation

State of the Market

A bifurcated market – new construction vs existing homes

Of 357 pending Sales, 155 (43.3%) are new construction vs 202 existing homes

Overall DOM = 49, NC = 74 while EH = 38. Existing homes are ready to move into, while most NC are specs

Overall Listed Price = $399,900, NC – $374,990, and EH = $442,400

Is it because they are bigger?

Overall living SF = 2,048, NC = 1,987 and EH = 2,112

More block vs frame

Price per SF Overall = $202.94, NC = $192.72 and EH = $219.67 

Main topics – Cable landing stations vs data centers and the role of economic development agencies

Sandy – Myrtle Beach already has a CLS. What role did your agency play in this acquisition?

S – What incentives were offered?

S – When did it open?

S – What benefits did you expect?

S – What resistance, if any, did you encounter?

S – Has the resistance increased since the opening?

S – Has interest from site selectors and their companies increased since the CLS? What do you forecast for the next 5 years?

S – DC Blox has announced it will add capacity. What are their new plans?

S – How much does DC Blox pay in property taxes?

S – Flagler’s commercial property tax base is less than 10%. How does that compare to Horry County?

S – The MB metro area has roughly three times Flagler’s population, while Palm Coast is three times the size of Myrtle Beach. Is your ED organization driven by the county more than by the city?

S – What is your department’s staffing level and budget?

John – Our public ED efforts are largely passive, responding to inquiries rather than proactive marketing with incentives. Does the Chamber play a role?

J – Since I moved to PC in 2000, we lost a 500-employee boat manufacturing facility (currently mothballed) and Palm Coast Data, which once employed 1,000. We have also had some positive news, mostly under the radar. You mentioned three thriving local companies when we talked yesterday. Who are they and what do they do?

J – In the name of controlling growth, the city and county have spent a lot of money defending themselves in lawsuits that could easily have been avoided. If you were given these funds as a budget for a newly constituted agency (public/private), how would you spend it?

J – What effect does our local 1-year moratorium on data centers have on site selectors?

J – Does a negative social media ecosystem have a similar effect?

J – How do we turn the tide of negativity against DC Blox into the positive news that it deserves? I’m hard-pressed to think of an alternative new business that represented such a beneficial future for our area.  

Wrap-up:

Video podcasts of Real Estate Matters are available on GoToby.com. Click on Podcasts on the top navigation bar. Show notes are included so you can see what we didn’t get to on the show. Also, the Flagler County Interactive map of residential developments and subdivisions on GoToby.com is updated regularly. Currently viewed over 11,600 times.

If you are thinking about buying or selling property in Flagler County, call me first. Based on your goals, I’ll connect you with an appropriately qualified Realtor or builder and serve as your consultant throughout the transaction, at no additional cost to you. Call me at 386-931-7124 or email me at Toby@GoToby.com.