Hyperbaric Chamber Therapy in Rock Hill, SC

The project will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. All to bring a 20th-century textile mill into a new generation.

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Out with the hold and in the with a proven redesign.

One of the most iconic buildings in our area is getting a facelift. The Thread will welcome a place for restaurants shops and spaces to live.

It will help connect Old Town Rock Hill with Winthrop University. But it comes with a pretty price. The project will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. All to bring a 20th-century textile mill into a new generation.

The hope is that the redesign pays off. After all, converting old mills is nothing new. Optimist Hall near Uptown used to house Charlotte's largest textile mill. In 2016, a new adaptive reuse project took shape officially opening three years later.

It now houses an extremely popular food hall and office space for corporations like Duke Energy. The revamped design allows history to mix with a modern refresh on the space.

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ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – A Lip-Sync Battle will take place on Thursday, March 16th to provide support to the one income family as Derek battles ALS.

The Battle is put on by The Give Back Tour – which is bringing people together through entertainment, while focusing on the financial needs of people and non-profits.

Created by Michael Sanders, the Give Back Tour helps people who are living with mental health and other health issues by providing a night of entertainment with a dinner and a show.

“Give Back Tour” Founder Michael Sanders, Jr. said, “It’s a great dinner – it’s one of Derek’s favorites his favorite meals. It’s 8 lip-sync battles voted on my the audience. In May our number one performer was someone who sang Tina Turner Proud Mary and in August our number one skit was Lady Gaga Born this way.”

The event will have a total of four Give Back Tour fundraisers through the year – after this one – the next one will be in May for Mental Health and the other events will take place in August and November.

Want to go? ‘Give Back Tour’ to Help Ingram Family Thursday, March 16th | 6 – 10 PM Southern Charm Events 534 Waterford Glen Way – Rock Hill

One of the most notable buildings in Chester is the historic 1914 Jail. The four story jail was in service for over half of the 20^th century. Now it is home to the Chester County Historical Society Museum and Archives and sought out for tours by paranormal investigators.

ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – The Farmacy and Anne Springs Close Greenway bringing clean air and fresh food to the tri-county.

The FARMACY is officially open and selling fresh produce right inside the heart of the Southside of Rock Hill. The FARMACY not only offers fresh produce, but local goods, as well as coffee and tea inside the Culture Cafe.. Owners Jonathan and Crystal Nazeer say proceeds go back towards supporting programs within their non-profit, Victory Gardens International. The Farmacy is on Crawford Road.

The Anne Springs Close Greenway reminding everyone that Live music returns to the Gateway Canteen March 17! A crowd favorite, Todd Johnson will perform from 6-9pm. Music will continue every Friday and Saturday night through October. Find the full lineup on their website. THere is an entry fee for non greenway members

Half Pint Chefs, led by chef Cam Grimstead, teaches young kids kitchen basics while promoting social activity with their community.

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Chef Cam Grimstead is preparing to teach a cooking class, but his students aren't your typical cooks. They're kids!

Grimstead is leading a group of 15 kids in Half Pint Chefs, a class hosted by Community Hype, a local community-driven business that's based on getting kids back outside.

The COVID-19 pandemic has kept a lot of people away from each other the last few years. That's why Danielle Pitts founded Community Hype, to get people back outside and together. Pitts recently relocated to the Rock Hill area from Spartanburg, where she felt the project did well.

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The Half Pints Chef Program is her first event in the Charlotte region.

"This is basically a way for our younger kids to learn how to prepare meals using a lot of fresh, all-natural ingredients from scratch for an affordable rate," Pitts said.

Grimstead recently earned his degree from the University of Hawaii and the goal is to take his culinary expertise and teach the next generation.

"I was in the kitchen with my mom helping her with whatever meal she wanted to make," Grimstead said. "I might as well give them the same opportunity."

Each student in the program gets an official chef's apron, hat and a kit. At that point, they're all set for the five-week program. All of the chefs will be taught the basics, like growing and caring for fresh herbs. At the same time, they'll learn about the health benefits of what they're growing.

One of the first things the kids got to cook is pizza. Grimstead allowed his students to customize their pizzas using different sauces and made-from-scratch dough.

For parents like Ashley Holmes, Half Pint Chefs is an opportunity for their kids to find something to do that isn't the typical activities like gymnastics and dance.

Credit: WCNC Charlotte

Students at Half Pint Chefs learn basic cooking skills while fostering a passion for culinary excellence.

"We want to be able to give them an opportunity, teach them what they may not know and answer the questions they have," Pitts said.

Both Pitts and Grimstead hope to give people in their community a hands-on experience that will help them know their neighbors and have fun.

"A fun experience. Another outlet besides electronics and if they like cooking, turn it into a passion," Grimstead said.

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All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.

Demolition could start within days for the structure that was to become the Carolina Panthers’ headquarters in Rock Hill, S.C., according to Mayor John Gettys.

“The building should start coming down within a week,” Gettys told The Herald on Monday.

The building and 245-acre site can be seen from Interstate 77 and Mount Gallant Road in Rock Hill. The city now owns the site near the Exit 81 interchange, which is under construction, Gettys said. The interchange is expected to be finished this summer, weather permitting, Gettys said.

The structure was under construction when GT Real Estate, the company created by the Panthers to oversee the project, stopped construction in Spring 2022. GT declared bankruptcy in June 2022. The bankruptcy was confirmed in mid-December and the city took ownership of the property the next day as part of a settlement, Gettys said.

Rock Hill received title to the land, which Gettys said is worth more than $37 million.

Documents earlier in the bankruptcy agreement showed a value of at least $20 million.

The city has agreed to a $1 deal with a contractor to tear down the building, remove the steel, and crush the foundation concrete footings, Gettys said.

The city and contractor will split the proceeds for personal property on site such as air conditioners and other items, Gettys said.

To date, the city already has proceeds over $300,000 for that personal property, Gettys said.

GT Real Estate is the company created by Panthers owner David Tepper to oversee what would have been the Panthers’ headquarters and practice facility. The project failed in a dispute over money.

As part of the bankruptcy settlement, GT ended its legal disputes with the city of Rock Hill and York County.

The Panthers remain headquartered in Charlotte.

There have been inquiries into the site but the city council has not yet discussed the highest and best return on the city’s investment, Gettys said.

The property is still being marketed by Collier’s as the ‘Rock Hill Overlook’ a “development opportunity,” according to Collier’s Web site.

Rock Hill City Council met Monday night to, among other things, adopt a resolution that would allow the city to convey personal property, fixtures, materials and equipment at the site.

During a citizens hearing, two speakers made their own proposals for what should happen there. Albert Zouky said the city should reach out to mega convenience station brand Buc-ee’s.

“With the new interstate overpass that goes over, that is to me a fabulous place to attract a Buc-ee’s,” Zouky said.

Ideally, Zouky said, the city could work with the existing building that was there under construction.

“Maybe we can still salvage that building that would be a great asset for the community,” Zouky said.

Another speaker told council a group from Atlanta, which the speaker represented, researched the property and had a privately funded proposal that included a covered dome that could be used for basketball and football, along with retail or conference space.

Council passed the resolution on Monday night.

City attorney Paul Dillingham said acquiring personal property at the site was part of the deal to take ownership, and the city has taken great pains to try to recover and make best use of the site. Sales incentives involved with the property will help bring about demolition at little or no cost to the city, Dillingham said Monday night.

Councilwoman Kathy Pender, just before Monday night’s vote, said she’d heard erroneous estimates that it would cost the city considerable money to bring down the unfinished structure.

”Part of what we are doing here is lowering the cost of any work there,” Pender said.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

This story was originally published February 13, 2023, 3:14 PM.

Rock Hill is a step closer to a new swim beach.

Rock Hill City Council voted Monday night to approve a lease agreement with Duke Energy for property at India Hook and Elks Park roads. The site will become a new waterfront park.

”This project is substantially complete,” said deputy city manager Jimmy Bagley. “They’re prepared to turn the keys over to the city for a spring opening.”

The city recreation department will operate the new park. It will be open sunrise to sunset. Amenities will include restrooms, a canoe and kayak launch, fishing piers, trails, picnic tables and benches. The most notable, though, is the new swim beach.

Ebenezer Park has a swim beach. For Tega Cay residents, Windjammer Park has one. Otherwise, there hasn’t been significant public swimming access on Lake Wylie. The new swim beach in Rock Hill will be considered a natural swimming area, meaning it won’t have stationed lifeguards.

Duke operates almost a dozen Catawba River lakes from the North Carolina mountains to the South Carolina sandhills. Duke needs a federal license to operate hydroelectric facilities on them. In 2006, Duke signed an agreement with almost 70 regional stakeholders to apply for a new license, which was granted in 2015. The application included promised public recreation and environmental improvements throughout the basin.

The new Rock Hill park is part of that pledge. So is a massive upgrade effort at Allison Creek Access Area in York County. Upgrades at Dutchman’s Creek Access Area and restrooms at Buster Boyd Access Area in Lake Wylie already are complete.

Beyond Lake Wylie, planned recreation improvements range from a swim beach on Lake Norman to Springs Park Access Area on Fishing Creek Reservoir to the Great Falls restoration of river flow in areas where it was dammed off decades ago.

Bagley, who sat in on years of stakeholder meetings during relicensing, said what city officials now call Lake Park won’t have motor boat access but will have plenty of amenities. Duke will own the site and lease it to the city through the license term, which goes to 2055.

”Hopefully they would have a new license extended (to keep the part operating beyond that date),” Bagley said.

Apart from staffing similar to other city parks, the new site comes at Duke’s expense as part of the agreement.

“It was a long, painstaking process,” Bagley said of relicensing. “It didn’t cost us anything. It will have staffing, that will cost us in the future.”

Councilwoman Kathy Pender said Bagley’s work to represent the city in relicensing was key to the coming attraction. As were other area representatives.

”Part of that was making sure our community came away with something out of that partnership,” Pender said. “Not only this park, but there are others in York County that have come out of that.”

Councilman John Black said the new park meets a need in Rock Hill.

”This is a great amenity and adding something our community really doesn’t have,” Black said.

The addition in Rock Hill grows a range of city offerings to access the Catawba River. The Piedmont Medical Center Trail runs along the river at Riverwalk. The Rock Hill Velodrome, Rock Hill Criterium and Rock Hill Outdoor Center Greens also are at Riverwalk. Just downstream, near Waterford Golf Club, there’s River Park.

The new Rock Hill beachfront park also adds to river recreation sites across the region. Tega Cay recently opened ballfields, trails and more at Catawba Park. York County continues work on the 1,900-acre Catawba Bend Preserve on the Rock Hill banks of the Catawba.