There’s a surprise perk in Panthers’ deal with York County — SC wetlands protection
The Carolina Panthers sealed a deal in 2020 to build their 240-acre headquarters in Rock Hill, S.C. As a result of that deal, funds now are available for a conservation project to preserve wetlands along the Catawba River.
The wetlands are part of the 1,049-acre Wildlife Management Area adjoining the Landsford Canal State Park, in nearby Chester County. Not all of that Wildlife Management Area is protected — but this project with the Panthers is designed to secure more of the land in a state trust.
Landsford Canal State Park is home to what S.C. officials call the “world’s largest remaining colony of Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies.” These rare flowers, which bloom overnight and last only a day, bring hundreds of tourists to the Rock Hill area each year.
How this deal will work
The Panthers practice facility will be in Rock Hill along Interstate 77. There also will be a new interchange at mile marker 81 that will lead directly to the new site.
Construction of the Panthers facility will consume wetlands in that area. So the developers are required by the S.C. Department of Commerce to help restore wetlands — and give more than what was taken away.
The Panthers will satisfy that agreement by helping fund the restoration of 109 acres adjacent to Landsford Canal State Park, a press release earlier this month said.
Attempts to reach officials with the Carolina Panthers were unsuccessful as of Thursday afternoon.
S.C. Department of Commerce Spokesperson Alex Clark said the state provided initial funding, as part of the Panthers agreement, for off-site mitigation in development of the practice facility.
The 109 acres are part of a larger land acquisition project. That land is part of a 494-acre parcel called the Landsford Tract, which is part of the Wildlife Management Area, acquired by in 2020 by the Open Space Institute, the nonprofit that holds the title.
When the restoration efforts are finished, the land will be transferred to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for public use, said Patrick Moore, the OSI project manager.
The addition of these tracts will provide an opportunity for people to connect with the outdoors near an area with high development pressure and sustain the habitat for wildlife to remain for all to enjoy,” said Robert Boyles, Director of the SCDNR.
“They could have (fulfilled the agreement) in a way that didn’t benefit the public,” Moore said. But with a little help from the Panthers, OSI will ensure that almost 500 acres of South Carolina’s wetlands are restored and placed into state trust.
The nonprofit is working with the Palustrine Group, the private company that will carry out the design and construction work, Moore said.
‘Protected forever’
The creek running through the middle of the Landsford Tract flows north of where the Spider Lilies grow — and anything that enters the stream would reach the flowers.
“If the Tract was clear cut, if it was developed residentially if anything happened to it that caused pollution or sediment to wash into that creek, that pollution or sediment goes directly to the Spider Lilies,” Moore said.
So conservationists want to protect this area.
“And that’s what we’ve done. We’ve restored it to its original condition,” he said. And once the land is transferred to SCDNR, “It will be protected forever.”
Without this effort, the land was set to be cleared for timber harvest, Moore said.
“The Catawba River, particularly this section, is one of the most important conservation focus areas in the state,” Raleigh West, executive director of the SC Conservation Bank, said. “It’s not just ecologically significant, but it also serves as one of the most frequently visited and photographed places in South Carolina.”
Plans for Panthers HQ
The Panthers broke ground in 2020 at it’s headquarters site.
The headquarters will be the site of practice facilities, an orthopedic medicine facility, indoor and outdoor structures that can host large events and a mix of hotel, office and retail spaces.
In order to bring the Panthers to Rock Hill, the county agreed on a tax incentive deal in April 2020, which also involved the city of Rock Hill and the school district. The agreement, passed on a 4-3 county vote, was that the city of Rock Hill would forgo all its property tax revenue from the project for up to 30 years. The school district would give up 75% of its revenue and the county would give up 65% of its revenue. The forfeited taxes would provide $225 million to pay off bonds for infrastructure.
Once the infrastructure is paid for or the incentives expire, all three entities would collect full tax amounts from what is anticipated to be a $1 billion to $2 billion facility.
The first phase of the project, which includes team facilities, is expected to be completed in 2023.
Staff writer Cailyn Derickson contributed to this report.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 5:28 PM.
