Last night, the Rock Hill City Council approved the first reading to an ordinance selling approximately 50 acres of land in District 5 (Christi Cox’s district) off Palmetto Parkway (tax parcel 664-00-00-021) — land that’s being marketed as “one of the Southeast’s most competitive industrial sites for a high-impact user” — to an unnamed buyer operating under the code name “Project Palmetto Rock.”

No buyer has been identified. No investment amount, job numbers, or project details have been released. The ordinance grants the City Manager unilateral power to amend the Purchase and Sale Agreement without returning to Council for approval.

This is the exact same parcel that was supposed to become the Carolina Panthers’ $800+ million practice facility and headquarters.

The Panthers Fiasco — Christi Cox’s Central Role and Costly Failure

In 2020–2022, York County Council Chairwoman Christi Cox was one of the most vocal and active supporters of the Panthers project to be built in her district. Under her leadership, the County approved massive tax incentives and infrastructure commitments. When the deal began collapsing in early 2022 over Rock Hill’s failure to deliver promised bonds, Cox issued public statements insisting York County had “performed all of its obligations in good faith” and would “take all necessary measures to protect the taxpayers.”

York County and Rock Hill poured massive public resources into that project. When it collapsed in 2022, York County sued Tepper’s development entities and ultimately recovered $21 million in a settlement. But the true cost to taxpayers was far higher: forgone tax revenue, hundreds of millions in promised infrastructure, years of legal battles, demolished buildings, and a shattered reputation for economic development competence. The fiasco left local governments with empty land, broken promises, and a lingering financial hangover.

Same Playbook, New Code Name

Now the same piece of land is being quietly shopped again — this time under the code name “Project Palmetto Rock.”

This is part of a disturbing pattern in the region. Silfab Solar’s controversial chemical manufacturing facility in Fort Mill was originally hidden behind the code name “Project Mountie.” The massive QTS data center project was known internally as “Project Cobra.” Each time, local officials have used confidential code names to shield major deals from public scrutiny.

While Rock Hill handles this latest mystery buyer, York County — still led by Chairwoman Christi Cox — continues to demonstrate the same troubling approach to major projects.

Cox and County Manager Josh Edwards ignored the law to push forward Silfab’s toxic chemical factory directly next to elementary and middle schools, with their staff issuing all permits to Silfab after the Board of Zoning Appeals ruled their use prohibited in the Light Industrial district.

At the same time, the county’s proposed 2027 budget is now ballooning to $560 million – filled with wasteful hires, redundant items, and overpriced studies — while nearby Greenville County, with nearly double the population and a higher population growth rate, operates on a significantly leaner budget at less than half per capita.

The pattern is unmistakable. Whether it was the Panthers headquarters collapse, the continued defense of Silfab’s unlawful operations, the mishandling the QTS data centers, or the current push for a significantly more bloated budget, Chairwoman Christi Cox has repeatedly been at the center of decisions that prioritize big promises and insider deals over transparency, fiscal restraint, and public safety.

York County residents have already paid a steep price for the Panthers fiasco. With another secret code-name deal unfolding on the exact same ground — and the same leadership still in charge — taxpayers have every reason to demand full transparency and accountability before more public money and community trust are put at risk.