Hilton Head confirms Aunt Chilada’s purchase. Will it be used for public parking?
Last Friday, the town of Hilton Head confirmed that they purchased Aunt Chilada’s, a 36-year-old restaurant on Pope Avenue that closed in September.
According to a press release from the town, the acquisition was funded through tax increment financing generated from the Pope Avenue TIF district, which is designated to support redevelopment and improvements in the area.
There are four TIF districts on Hilton Head, including the Pope/Palmetto Area that extends from Bay Pines Drive all the way to South Forest Beach Drive on the island, according to the most recent TIF map from 2016.
According to Heather Woolwine, the town’s communications director, no final decisions have been made for what will be done with the Aunt Chilada’s property, but with its proximity to Coligny Beach and Lowcountry Celebration park, the property could be a potential site for public parking.
In October, the town council approved a resolution that will bring paid parking to town-owned beach parks, besides Coligny Beach Park and the Pope Avenue business district, which includes the former Wild Wing Cafe and the former Aunt Chilada’s, by March 2025. The two properties, they said during town council, would likely be transitioned into additional parking lots but would be exempt from parking fees.
Collectively, the town invested nearly $7 million on the two properties to secure between 225 and 270 additional free parking spots. The 1.29-acre property where Aunt Chilada’s was cost the town $2.9 million, or $51.60 per square foot, according to a town press release Friday. The Wild Wings Cafe property, 1.8 acres, cost the town $4 million, or $51.00 per square foot.
According to the town-owned property dashboard, the town owns about 1,950 acres across 327 different properties.
