Lawsuits settled over York County’s tallest building. Will Fort Mill tower be torn down?
York County and Morningstar Fellowship Church have settled more than a decade’s worth of legal disputes over the Heritage Tower — the county’s tallest building that remains unfinished almost 40 years after it was built.
The sides wrangled over whether the building would be finished or demolished as well as alleged religious freedom violations. The agreement ends all lawsuits in state and federal courts between the two sides over the tower, according to court records and written statements from the church and county.
The agreement also gives MorningStar the right to apply for a building permit to finish the tower, court filings show. But the agreement puts in deadlines for that permit that, if not followed, would result in the tower being torn down.
Praise the Lord Ministries
The 21-story tower located just south of the North Carolina state line in Fort Mill has been the focal point of legal contention between the church and county since 2013.
Construction started on the tower in 1986 when the property was owned by Praise The Lord Ministries, known as PTL. Construction stopped in 1987 when PTL, founded by Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, declared bankruptcy.
It has remained unfinished ever since.
MorningStar bought the property about two decades ago. Neighborhoods and schools sprung up nearby. The tower has been a thorny issue for the public around the tower. Some residents nearby organized against the tower and even had billboards up about a decade ago urging it be torn down.
The exterior of the building that the church has contended would be mainly used for residential senior housing was finished. However, the interior was never finished and the building has remained empty. Some exposed concrete and brickwork on the outside remains visible.
As far back as 2010, some residents complained the unfinished tower harmed property values nearby. Others pushed to save the tower.
Agreement: MorningStar can apply to finish tower
The agreement allows MorningStar a year and half to to apply for building permits to finish the tower, public court filings show..
“If MorningStar has not applied for a building permit by or before the 18-month deadline, it will demolish the Tower within 9 months following the expiration of the deadline,” the agreement states.
Building permits are valid for 180 days after being issued and MorningStar has the right to apply for five extensions if a building permit is issued, the agreement states.
The agreement also spells out specific guidelines for tearing down the tower.
The agreement further states a permit won’t be renewed and the tower will come down if such a permit is issued but expires.
What happens now?
It remains unclear when the church will apply to county officials for the building permit to complete the tower.
The agreement states in writing MorningStar and York County officials will make no other public comments on the issue other than the joint news release that says the lawsuits are settled..
“The sole public commentary on the Settlement Agreement shall come in the form of a joint press release, co-authored in good faith by the Parties, approved by MorningStar and the County,” the agreement states.
Herald reporter John Marks contributed previous reporting to this story.
This story was originally published November 21, 2024 at 12:09 PM with the headline "Lawsuits settled over York County’s tallest building. Will Fort Mill tower be torn down?."
