Yesterday, Rock Hill finalized the sale of 25 acres of failed Carolina Panthers headquarters project to Novant Health, which plans to build a $300 million advanced medical campus and create 255 full-time jobs to our area.
The property is located within the city’s Palmetto Research Park, a more than 200-acre tract Rock Hill acquired through bankruptcy proceedings after the Panthers abandoned their headquarters and practice facility project in 2022.
The Panthers’ planned $2 billion development was partially constructed before collapsing amid disagreements over public funding and project timelines.
City officials have since marketed the property as a destination for advanced manufacturing and life sciences companies.
The sale still requires a due diligence period before closing, but city leaders approved their portion of the transaction Monday.
Novant already has a significant presence in the region through specialty institutes, physician clinics, and its support of Rock Hill’s Miracle Park.
“This land purchase reflects our continued commitment to expanding access to care in Rock Hill and the surrounding communities,” said Novant President Chris Bowe in a press release. “Novant Health has proudly served Rock Hill and the surrounding communities for many years through our specialty institutes, physician clinics, and more recently through our investment in Miracle Park. We’re incredibly grateful for the relationships we’ve built in this community and look forward to sharing more about our planned medical campus and long-term commitment to bringing remarkable health care closer to home.”
The announcement marks one of the largest redevelopment projects yet for the former Panthers site and represents a major step in transforming the property into a healthcare and research hub.
The Novant deal comes just months after Rock Hill City Council approved the first reading of a separate ordinance to sell approximately 50 additional acres within Palmetto Research Park to an undisclosed buyer operating under the code name “Project Palmetto Rock”.
Few details about that proposal have been released publicly, including the identity of the buyer, investment totals, job projections, or the nature of the project.
Together, the projects signal growing momentum for redevelopment of one of the region’s most high-profile economic development sites.
Just four years after the collapse of the Panthers project, portions of the former headquarters property are now attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in new private investment and reshaping the future of Rock Hill’s I-77 corridor.
