ROCK HILL, S.C. — Big things are happening for the Carolina Panthers. As part of the Panthers Fan Fest Friday night, fans were able to see players practice at Bank of America Stadium in Uptown Charlotte. But those players will soon be practicing at a world-class facility in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
The project has been in the works for years, and now there is some visible progress at the site.
Two years after South Carolina’s Senate passed the so-called "Panthers Bill" creating incentives to move the Panthers team headquarters to Rock Hill, there is now tangible proof of the project on a 240-acre site adjacent to I-77.
“It’s glorious for us to be able to witness all of this," South Carolina State Representative Gary Simrill said.
The changes can be seen from I-77: the land has been cleared and the foundation is being poured.
Rep. Simrill was part of the team that helped bring the major project to Rock Hill. He said construction slowed during the pandemic, but things have since picked up significantly.
Phase 1 is now expected to be complete in 2023.
“To date, I think we’ve issued almost a thousand badges, which are workers that have been cleared to work on-site," Carolina Panthers VP and chief operating officer Mark Hart said.
In a recent conversation with Rock Hill Mayor John Gettys, Hart said the project also slowed down because of hard rock that builders hit when laying the foundation.
“We’ve created a big, almost mountain of stone out there," Hart said. "But we’ve gone through it, the foundations are on their way of concretion, we’ve got a lot of concrete poured."
Hart said there’s an emphasis to hire as many local contractors for the project as possible, with a strong push to support minority and women-owned businesses.
The project includes so much more than just the headquarters and training facility -- this includes retail space, entertainment and even a hospital. It’s expected to transform Rock Hill and make the Carolina Panthers really a team for both Carolinas.
Contact Indira Eskieva at ieskieva@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram.