How does Rock Hill create new business where it doesn’t exist? There’s a road map.
Creating new business from scratch, during wildly uncertain times, may seem to be an economic reach. Yet, Rock Hill Mayor John Gettys said, this wouldn’t be the first time.
Gettys addressed Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation members Friday at that group’s annual retreat. RHEDC began 35 years ago, when there wasn’t a pandemic. There was a roof over downtown, from a mall that wasn’t working, and textiles were leaving the area.
“We didn’t know who we would be as a community 35 years ago,” Gettys said.
Now the Carolina Panthers headquarters is underway. Business and industrial parks fare well here. Downtown has several large apartment, commercial, hotel or other projects. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic looms, Gettys doesn’t want the city business community to relax based on recent accomplishments.
“It’s good,” Gettys said. “It’s going. But let’s now look at areas where we haven’t been able to get to.”
There was no market 35 years ago for what has come, he said. From Aspen and Waterford business parks to downtown revitalization, city industry leaders have created a marketplace for growth. To be known across the state and country, Gettys said, Rock Hill needs to continue that trend.
“It’s the story of every good thing that RHEDC has been involved in,” he said.
Property sale, development
Business continues in Rock Hill despite the coronavirus pandemic, which spiked unprecedented job loss. Before RHEDC officially began its retreat Friday board members voted on a plan that will extend an inspection period for a Waterford spec building under contract at 1247 Apex Drive. The group also approved a letter of intent to sell a more-than-nine-acre site near the Waterford Terrace apartments.
The wedge, along but with no direct connection to Dave Lyle Boulevard and Waterford Park Drive, has become more marketable as a connection to an adjacent 40-acre plan to develop townhomes.
“We have a chance to find a home for this orphaned property,” said Rick Norwood, city industrial recruitment director.
Norwood also highlighted eight major 2020 projects, from new manufacturing sites to the first construction at Aspen Business Park. Those projects account for $56.5 million in new investment and at least 315 new jobs.
Among them are a TechPark manufacturing facility with 75 jobs at $8 million planned investment, a spec building under contract with a $3.5 million investment, and the $45 million, 240-job Arrival project in Rock Hill’s Legacy East Business Park.
“Bringing in three new manufacturing companies is certainly significant,” Norwood said.
DIRTT Environmental Solutions will add more than 100 new jobs when it opens next spring in Legacy East. Projects like Arrival and DIRTT will hire local residents and pay at or above the county average of $23 an hour, Norwood said.
The city has nine industrial parks dating back to 1984. Norwood said combined investment recently surpassed the $1 billion mark.
“That’s a pretty big deal,” he said.
Billion dollar investment
In searching for the next areas to create redevelopment markets, Gettys wants to ensure all parts of Rock Hill benefit. Inclusion and diversity have been a priority, with projects like the BELL XPrize that mentored and awarded money to Black-owned businesses. JM Cope Construction put up $100,000 in partnership with the Black Economic Leadership League.
“We are a resilient community,” said RHEDC chairwoman Dawn Johnson. “We are a community that reaches out to each other.”
Gettys said 2020 has not been great for everyone. Still, he said, there have been wins. Permit fees for new construction the past decade show more than $1 billion in value to Rock Hill. With the Panthers project, Knoweldge Park, downtown redevelopment, Aspen and other major ongoing projects, Gettys expects even more community investment.
“There is every reason to expect and anticipate over $4 billion coming into Rock Hill,” he said.
Downtown’s new sports and event center already hosts events. Gettys said it generates $150,000 per month just in rental, concession and parking fees. There is more than $5 million in investment still planned for surrounding homes, apartments and a hotel in Knowledge Park.
The city has a Mural Mile art project downtown. A pedestrian bridge across Dave Lyle Boulevard is coming.
“It’s funded,” Gettys said. “It’s going to happen. It’s in planning.”
In many years, Gettys said, a crowning achievement would’ve been Rock Hill’s free bus service. The My Ride bus service had more than 6,000 riders per week before the pandemic hit.
“It will come back,” Gettys said.
Gettys said economic stability and progress in Rock Hill has one commonality.
“We are a much stronger community when we work together,” he said.
This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 1:34 PM.
