Carolina Panthers: York City Council approves HQ incentive package
By Dean Jones
York City Council narrowly approved its incentives package to move the Carolina Panthers’ new headquarters to the region in the coming years.
The Carolina Panthers were given a boost regarding their new practice facility after York City County approved its end of the incentive package.
Following a debate on Monday evening, councilors narrowly voted in favor of the deal, which has given the green light to the Panthers to begin work on their ambitious new site in Rock Hill.
They will be moving from their current base in Charlotte to between Cherry Road and Dave Lyle Boulevard. This initiative has seen the City of Rock Hill forego all its property tax revenue relating to the project for a period of three decades.
The incentives total stands at $225 million to bring the Panthers to South Carolina. Once all payments have been submitted, the three taxing bodies involved would then be able to receive the full tax benefits as part of the agreement.
The Panthers plan to move their entire headquarters over to the Rock Hill site. In addition to offices and practice facility, there is also plans to build hotels, restaurants, a state-of-the-art entertainment venue, and a medical facility.
This is set to boost employment in the region by a considerable amount. There will also be significant tourism benefits regarding the move.
Panthers’ COO Mark Hart spoke at the video conference hearing amid coronavirus social distancing measures. It reportedly took more than an hour for all delegates to speak for or against the proposals.
Around 880 of the 1,100 acres of the deal are not related to the headquarters as yet. This will change if Carolina owner David Pepper opts to purchase the land. The practice facility area cost $16 million and consists of 240 acres.
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The Panthers will still play their home games in Charlotte and the move represents another positive step from a franchise that is aiming to turn things around in a positive way both on and off the field in the coming years.