Novant reaches deal to buy SC site once set for Carolina Panthers practice facility

Novant Health Inc. is expanding its presence in the Charlotte metro area with plans to build a $300-million medical campus on the Rock Hill, S.C., site where the Carolina Panthers once planned a practice facility.

The Rock Hill City Council approved Tuesday a purchase and sale agreement with Novant for a 25-acre site in the city-owned Palmetto Research Park that originally had 240 acres.

Approval of the purchase and sale agreement kicks off a due-diligence period for Novant prior to closing.

Novant projects having 255 full-time equivalent job positions at the facility.

"This land purchase reflects our continued commitment to expanding access to care in Rock Hill and the surrounding communities," Chris Bowe, president of Novant's Charlotte region, said in a statement.

Bowe said Novant already serves the Rock Hill community with specialty institutes and physician clinics.

"We're incredibly grateful for the relationships we've built in this community and look forward to sharing more about our planned medical campus," Bowe said.

The Rock Hill council chose in March 2024 to consider splitting up the park into parcels.

Rock Hill Mayor John Gettys said the council chose to sell the parcel to Novant because it "has a longstanding history in our area, known for an exceptional standard of care."

"We've targeted life sciences at Palmetto Research Park given the stability, global demand and high-paying jobs the industry brings.

"Novant Health's medical campus aligns well with that vision as we continue to pursue additional recruitment opportunities."

When the Panthers committed in 2019 to an $800 million capital investment in the Rock Hill practice facility, it was hailed as proof of new Panthers owner David Tepper's effort to expand the franchise's presence in the local market.

The campus also was to feature team offices, sports medicine complex, hotels and entertainment venues.

However, by 2021, GT Real Estate Holdings had ceased work on the site.

According to an ESPN report, York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson and Solicitor Kevin Brackett investigated Tepper and his company to see whether public money was misused on the project.

In December 2022, the Panthers and York County reached a settlement in which the franchise turned over the property - valued at $20 million - to the county.

GT Real Estate Holding paid the county $21 million in reimbursement. The county provided sales tax revenue for road improvements. Another $60 million was split among the contractors who worked on the project before it was abandoned.

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