ROCK HILL, S.C. — The failed Carolina Panthers headquarters site in Rock Hill will soon become a medical campus, and local leaders say the move will create hundreds of jobs.
Right now, the site is virtually a ghost town. The lot off of Palmetto Parkway near Interstate 77 is overgrown with weeds and brush, and construction equipment is sitting unused. But city leaders say this is an ideal location for bright minds and big ideas.
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After the failure of the planned Panthers facility, the community is officially moving on from that major debacle.
“I do like the fact that it’s getting used for something that everybody in the area stands to gain from,” said William West.
On Monday, Mayor John Gettys opened the vote to city council members, and they approved the sale of 25 acres of city-owned land at the 209-acre site.
“This is the first item out on Palmetto Parkway, the Palmetto Research Park that we’ve been working so hard on for four years,” Gettys said.
Officials say it will be an investment valued at more than $300 million and come with 255 full-time jobs.
“This will be a full medical campus and it’s an opportunity for patients to have access to care and stay right here in Rock Hill,” said Novant Charlotte-region President Chris Bowe.
Bowe declined to give council members specifics on the full scope of the development, but he did say the health system aims to move as fast as possible, timeline-wise.
“We’re in design phase right now, so I would expect the first half of ’27 to be an opportunity to see shovels in the ground,” Bowe said.
Though healthcare wasn’t in the initial plan, locals like West think this is a much better fit.
“With the hospital, I like a selection of places to go,” West said. “I think it’s great for Rock Hill to have a variety.”
This isn’t a first for Novant and the city of Rock Hill. Earlier this year, Novant announced a $150,000 partnership for the world’s first part to receive Global Universal Design certification. Miracle Park is nationally recognized for eliminating physical and social barriers, creating a more inclusive environment.