What's the latest with the Nick’s Steak and Seafood site on Hilton Head?

Demolition of the old Nick’s Steak and Seafood site on Hilton Head Island is scheduled to start this summer, according to the town.

Bids to demolish the former restaurant building at 9 Park Lane opened last month, Kelly Spinella, interim communications and marketing director for the town of Hilton Head Island, confirmed this week.

The town purchased the former restaurant site and 10 Park Lane next door in January. Fire Rescue headquarters were moved to 10 Park Lane in February, and the former Nick’s site will be used for supporting parking and open space.

Nick’s, beloved for its casual ambiance and quality seafood, closed its doors for good in December. It’s since been used in a March fire drill exercise for the Hilton Head Island Fire and Rescue.

When will demolition start?

Demolition bids for the Nick’s building opened May 22, Spinella said. Work is expected to begin in July, she said, but a timeline will not be finalized until a contractor is picked.

“The property at 9 Park Lane will be used for apparatus parking when personnel need to visit Fire Rescue Headquarters, as well as for overflow parking needs.” Spinella wrote in an email.

The Hilton Head fire department saw a record number of calls, over 10,000, in 2025, Fire Chief Chris Blankenship said at a March presentation at a Community Development and Public Services Committee meeting.

Fire Rescue operates a dispatch center for 911 calls from Hilton Head and Daufuskie Island, and they handle emergency medical services for Hilton Head. Blankenship said around 80% of the calls are EMS-related.

The fire department recently purchased a new ladder truck in March, according to a Facebook post.

This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 12:24 PM.