Months after fire closes Hilton Head Starbucks, plans are in the works for a new one

Fear not, Hilton Head Island coffee enthusiasts — plans have been drawn up for a new north-end Starbucks.

The Town of Hilton Head Island's Design Review Board is set to make an initial aesthetic review of building plans for a new Starbucks in Sea Turtle Marketplace on March 27.

If all goes according to plan, the old store, which was destroyed in a fire on Jan. 21, will be demolished and a new Starbucks will be built in its place at 430 William Hilton Parkway.

Although the location will remain the same, some big changes are planned for the new store.

Remember how the line of cars waiting in the drive-thru lane would back up onto U.S. 278? Not anymore.

The proposed layout would relocate the drive-thru window to the east side of the store and create a U-shaped drive thru lane around the building, so that cars would exit toward U.S. 278.

As part of the Marketplace's redevelopment, the store's architectural design and character are "intended to provide an updated beach- and Lowcountry-inspired aesthetic to the center with the Stein Mart facade renovation," according to the project description.

Elements of the new building include sloped metal roofs, aluminum storefront window systems and decorative cylindrical light fixtures, the description states.

After Tuesday's initial review, the architects and engineers for Starbucks will be required to make any revisions requested by the Design Review Board and then return for a final review.

Chris Darnell, the town's urban designer, said the earliest the plans could get a final approval would be April 24.

After the Design Review Board's process, the plans will need to pass a staff-level development permit review and then the developer can apply for a building permit.

This story was originally published March 20, 2018 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Months after fire closes Hilton Head Starbucks, plans are in the works for a new one."