Employees will be sent to four other Rock Hill locations during construction, said Bob Sweetman, the owner-operator of the store.

Before work can begin, McDonald’s must get approval from the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals, a step scheduled for this week. An approval is needed because the small size of the property makes it difficult to comply with new city development standards.

The new store will have outdoor seating, more landscaping and a smoother traffic pattern, city planning records show. The old building went up in 1976.

It will still be one-story, but parking spaces out front will be replaced by a patio area. The Golden Arches also will get a new spot. Plans call for the pole-mounted sign to be replaced with a ground-level, monument-style version that meets signage rules on Cherry Road.