Former Trolley Stop lot becomes new parking area for Holden Beach visitors

HOLDEN BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Several months after a popular Holden Beach shop burned down, the lot where it once stood is now being used to help the town with one of its biggest problems: parking.

Back in March, the Holden Beach Trolley Stop convenience store and bar burned down in an early morning fire.

Since then, owner Jeremy Ridenhour has torn down the structure and turned the space into a parking lot.

Visitors can park there all day for just $20, cash only, with 24 cars able to use the lot and visitors don’t need the town’s annual parking pass to park there.

Ridenhour said this parking lot will help not just the town’s residents but visitors as well.

“You know, we’re really here to help the people of the community and you know, help the people that’s not on the island, the people that live off the island to have a place to come and park,” Ridenhour said. “It’s real close, it’s located real close to the beach. Most of our parking, we have 24 parking places here that are closer than the town’s parking to the public access.”

Ridenhour added that he isn’t planning on rebuilding the Trolley Stop, but would be open to doing so if the opportunity presents itself.