Leaders meet to discuss tax breaks to lure Panthers' HQ to York County

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — It would be a major change to the Carolina Panthers and impact more than just fans. Your tax dollars would be paying to lure the team's headquarters to South Carolina.

Monday night, York County leaders met to discuss exactly how much of a tax incentive they will be offering the Panthers.

The Panthers have a deal with the state of South Carolina to move the team headquarters to Rock Hill.

The new 200-acre facility would be on undeveloped land between Interstate 77 and U.S. 21.

This is more than a practice facility -- the team has promised to invest $200 million in building offices, fields, training areas, medical facilities, hotels and shops for the area.

The county council is trying to determine just how much they will be offering the Panthers in tax breaks. Monday was their first time meeting with economic developers to hear some hard numbers.

County leaders told Eyewitness News anchor Damany Lewis finding the right number to offer the Panthers isn't easy because this has not been done before.

"This is rather unprecedented," Joel Hamilton said. "There is not a history of NFL teams coming to Rock Hill or York county, difficult to wrap a value or scale."

The Panthers have said they would like to break ground next summer and have the facility built in two years.

In May, South Carolina state lawmakers approved their own $115 million incentive package to encourage the team to move their headquarters and practice fields to York County.

The bill did face a minor hurdle over concerns that it would not bring the economic benefit that numbers showed.

Cox Media Group