DI Publix expansion, remodel returns for city review

Grocery chain Publix’s store that’s located at the epicenter of shopping on Daniel Island is expected to nearly double its existing footprint if all goes to plan.

 

Design plans submitted by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting for Publix show the grocery store’s space increasing from approximately 29,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet. 

 

Inside the store, the renovation is said to include expanding each of the fresh food departments and grocery aisles, as well as a larger selection of products and services.

 

Outside, renderings suggest Lowcountry-inspired aesthetics that draw from the themes of historic Charleston: sweetgrass, oyster tabby, white brick, board and batten, and galvanized metal roofs.  

 

In May 2020, the project received conceptual approval by the Daniel Island Architectural Review Board and underwent further restudying. In June 2020, Publix submitted expansion plans to the City of Charleston’s Design Review Board (DRB) for consideration. 

 

“Once you get past conceptual approval, which they did in June, it should be smooth sailing,” said city Design Review Board Administrator David Meeks. 

 

Eight months removed from the resubmission, the proposal returned for review on March 1. If the preliminary request is approved, the project will go before the design review board for final approval at a later date, which includes permits to show proof of build before a construction timeline can be slated. [The board’s March 1 decision was not available at press time.]

 

In October 2017, expansion plans for the store were met with a unanimous deferral by the city’s design review board.

 

Previously, the board found a flaw with the design’s lack of windows. The plans called for “display boxes” throughout 

the facade of the store, rather than real windows.

 

However, the applicant has not added windows to the southeast corner of the building where there are business offices, according to Meeks. In substitution, an accent panel has been added to the tower in the southwest corner to make the design “more cohesive.” 

 

The board also found the original design overall to be “unsuccessful” and could better encompass a “park-like” atmosphere.   

 

Meeks noted that the northwest facade has been broken up to reduce scale and new artisan metals panels have been added as a backdrop to the new butterfly garden.

 

Other points of disapproval that led to deferral and a motion for a restudy included a delineation of a strong point of entry as well as the absence of aesthetic appeal, such as plants and park materials.  

 

The restudied plan includes a new, prominent entry with an attached pavilion, and outdoor seating at the end of the store will be surrounded by native landscaping and seasonal plants.

 

Meeks noted that the design review board doesn’t have purview over the interior design, only the shell of the building and the site. He added that another deferral wouldn’t mean scrapping the design or starting over from square one, but rather taking more time to tweak and fine tune the project.

 

“I think the public has been wanting this for a long time and it will be a nice improvement,” Meeks added.