ROCK HILL, S.C. — More than three years after land was purchased for the now-failed Carolina Panthers practice facility in Rock Hill, the 245-acre lot is now listed for sale.
A listing with the Colliers commercial real estate firm shares a rendering of the lot just off of Interstate 77 and Eden Terrace. The listing, which provides a name for the land as “Rock Hill Overlook”, touts the access to the interstate and accessibility to both Rock Hill and Charlotte.
The Overlook also is noted to have more than 5,600 square footage of frontage.
The Rock Hill Overlook, according to the listing, was zoned for mixed-use development. Possible ideas named include healthcare facilities, hospitality offerings, institutional buildings, multi-family housing, retail development, entertainment options, or destination features.
Additionally, access to the new Exit 181 Interchange is touted for when it is completed by May 2023.
PREVIOUSLY: SC politicians, residents respond as effort to bring Panthers training facility to Rock Hill ends
The Colliers listing did not include an estimated price for the land.
“We had high hopes that the Panthers would come in and help property values and help small businesses,” Rutledge DePass, co-owner of Rock Hill Gymnastics, said.
DePass was one of many disappointed business owners when the Panthers walked away from the project after saying Rock Hill had not honored its end of the agreements. What ensued was a public back and forth, including several lawsuits and GT Real Estate filing for bankruptcy.
“It’s going to be interesting to see what will actually come in. Hopefully it’ll be something great for Rock Hill and York County,” Elise Bennett with Forte Legato Coffee said.
Forte Legato Coffee opened its doors in this part of Rock Hill because of the Panthers project. Bennett hopes whoever purchases the property brings more people to the area.
“We’ll welcome them with open arms, just like we were going to do with the Panthers,” Bennett said.
The listing for the site comes on the heels of yet more developments in the failed Panthers facility saga. GT Real Estate Holdings, one of a handful of companies owned by Panthers team owner David Tepper, recently sought to revoke a bankruptcy settlement negotiated with the city of Rock Hill and York County governments.
GT Real Estate claimed both municipal governments were making unreasonable demands.
Tepper previously announced plans to sell the site in August 2022, offering about $82 million total to repay contractors and the county government. Contractors would have been repaid about $60 million, while York County and Rock Hill would have each gotten about $20 million. The payout to the city of Rock Hill was originally planned to be offered from net proceeds after handling clean-up and senior claims.
The original plans for the practice facility were aimed at rivaling other NFL teams, like the Dallas Cowboys. Tepper announced the $800 million idea in 2019, but work came to a screeching halt less than two years later.
The fallout from the failed facility has seen a flurry of legal action more recently in 2022. The York County government sued not only Tepper, but also the city of Rock Hill, lambasting the facility as a “failed vanity project” in June 2022.
Rock Hill’s small business community was astounded when the project was canceled, with some owners telling WCNC Charlotte they were hoping for a boost to come with the facility.
WCNC Charlotte has reached out to both Colliers and GT Real Estate for further comment. Representatives for Rock Hill and York County said neither had comment as of writing.