Owners Eye Demolition of Tuscaloosa Taco Bell for More Modern Layout

The owners of a Taco Bell diner and drive-thru in downtown Tuscaloosa are looking to tear it down to replace it with one of the brand's more modern layouts.

The city council's Administration Committee heard the proposal during a Tuesday meeting where they unanimously supported the project and advanced it to the full council for a later vote.

City Planner Zach Ponds told the committee that this is merely a modernization of the already-open store at the corner of Stillman and Lurleen B. Wallace Boulevards.

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"They are proposing essentially to demolish the existing structure, shift it a little bit to the west and rebuild it. That's pretty much what's going on here," Ponds told the committee.  "A lot of these places kind of refresh their brand every few years and that's what they're going through right now with Taco Bell."

Thanks to minor property acquisitions by the Taco Bell team, the entire lot will shift just enough to widen the drive-thru lane to 20 feet, giving folks enough room to change their minds about thinking outside the bun. Right now, it's easy to get pinned in the existing, narrow lane.

"One big thing here that I think is going to be beneficial to anyone who goes to Taco Bell is there's a bailout lane, they're proposing a bailout lane, so you're not stuck in that lane when the line might be a little too long," Ponds said.

Because the property sits in Tuscaloosa's Downtown Riverfront Overlay District, it requires review by the planning and zoning commission, a recommendation from the Administrative committee and a vote of the full council before such a large-scale change can be made. The Taco Bell proposal has cleared the first two hurdles.

For more on this project and from the council, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.