Eyesore visitors center in Bluffton will be torn down. Here’s what’s going in its place
The dilapidated shell of the former Hilton Head Visitors Center in Bluffton will be torn down soon to make way for two new businesses.
The Beaufort County Design Review Board on Thursday gave conceptual approval to plans that include a Dunkin Donuts and Discount Tire on the roughly 3 1/2-acre site near the intersection of U.S. 278 and S.C. 46.
The building that will house Dunkin Donuts is a custom design that differs aesthetically from the typical Dunkin Donuts prototype to meet Beaufort County building codes. The one-story building, with a combination of a hip and shed roof and brick around the base, also will have a drive-thru and an outdoor seating area.
During discussion about the plans, several members of the Design Review Board expressed concern about the vivid pink and orange lettering in Dunkin Donuts’ logo. A representative of the architecture firm that designed the plans assured them the colors on the building would be muted.
“I appreciate the fact that we won’t be looking at that welcome center anymore,” said board member Peter Brower.
The plans for Discount Tire include a building with three service bays facing Lowcountry Motors. The MuCulloch Tract, as the site is known, also has space for a third business that could be developed in the future.
No timetable was available for any of the work to begin.
Over the past five years, development has turned the intersection into a busy one. Walmart and Sam’s Club were built across S.C. 46, and a string of restaurants — Jimmy Johns, Avocado Blue and Buffalo Wild Wings — have opened one block down.
The developer of both of those centers, David Oliver of Bluffton Land Partners and Jaz Development, is also behind the new plans.
The visitor center once was a must-stop spot for those heading to Hilton Head. The internet and changes in the way people plan their travels and book accommodations ended the business. It closed for good in August 2015.
This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 2:22 PM.
