Panthers developing a game plan for new HQ, training center

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Now that the Carolina Panthers have a deal with the state of South Carolina for $160 million of incentives for a new team headquarters in Rock Hill, the real work begins. Lawmakers approved the deal for the NFL franchise this month as their session ended in Columbia.

With that major question answered, many others will follow. When will the team close on its preferred 200-acre site? What do the football fields, indoor practice center and team offices look like? Where will they be located on the site? And how soon will related improvements begin, starting with a $40 million interchange connecting the site to Interstate 77?

[RELATED: Panthers owner needs tax breaks for SC practice fields move]

Those are just a few of the major and minor details that must be determined over the next 12 months. The Panthers plan to break ground in June 2020 and move into their headquarters in the summer of 2022 — just in time for training camp.

The franchise has promised to invest $200 million building offices, fields and training areas while also bringing 150 jobs and a payroll of $190 million across the state line to York County. Also expected: an Atrium Health-backed sports medicine center, a hotel, meeting space, offices and shops.

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With the destination for the team headquarters no longer in question, the Panthers are focused on the project's next steps. CBJ's cover story this week delves into those.

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