The walls will fall at an iconic Hilton Head marina. When does the demo start?
In the coming days, the red, white and blue walls on the northern end of South Beach Marina in Sea Pines, one of Hilton Head’s most iconic tourist locations, will come tumbling down. As will the roof, staircases and windows that face Braddock Cove.
Demolition is expected to start soon on a portion of the marina village, according to Tim Stearns, chief operating officer at the South Beach Management Group. The marina, home to the Salty Dog Cafe, is undergoing a major renovation that would reorganize shops and change its appearance, according to documents filed with the town of Hilton Head Island.
The project area spans across just one of the marina’s roughly six acres, according to documents submitted to the town’s Design Review Board. The south side of the property, including the Salty Dog Cafe, will remain and is not a part of the demolition, Stearns wrote. The cafe opened its doors in 1987 and has become one of the island’s most treasured destinations.
Land’s End Tavern, the General Store, Blue Water Tackle Shop & Harbor Mater and the t-shirt shop and ice cream factory will also remain untouched by the project.
On Wednesday, curious residents walked around the exterior of the green temporary fencing, which surrounds only the northern side of the marina, while patrons continued to sit at The Salty Dog’s outdoor bar. According to Stearns, the fenced-in area starts at the Island Water Sports building and continues through the remaining north side of the property.
The project’s description said the buildings housing South Beach Inn and Vacation Rentals, Wreck of the Salty Dog, Jake’s Cargo and A Shore Thing “will transition to restaurant and retail uses,” suggesting that the buildings will no longer be used for lodging.
The restaurant’s website has a live camera set to broadcast the demolition in real time. It is accompanied by a countdown and various updates from the marina. On Wednesday morning, the website’s countdown suggested the demolition would begin the next day, Thursday, around 10 a.m. By Thursday morning, the countdown said the demolition will take place in about five days.
“We are very excited to deliver an upgraded marina experience to our visitors and guests,” Stearns wrote.
The plan details a reduction of the buildings’ overall footprint from about 12,500 square feet to about 10,000 square feet and the addition of a new vehicle drop off area near the marina. On May 28, the final plan was approved by the Sea Pines Architectural Review Board, according to their documents. A conceptual plan for the marina was approved by the town of Hilton Head on July 12, according to Carolyn Grant, the island’s communications director.
Grant shared on Wednesday that the marina owner submitted applications for the demolition of various structures and that the plans have been approved. The town has not yet received building applications for the rebuild, she added.
Hilton Head residents and visitors have raised questions in community Facebook groups about the status of the renovation. While some speak to their excitement for the upgrade, noting the marina’s decades of operation, others have expressed concern over the marina maintaining its “southern charm.”
This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 1:09 PM.
