Rock Hill city council moves forward with these new business plans
A long-awaited plan for new residences and business along Mt. Holly and Albright roads wasn’t the only decision facing Rock Hill City Council this week. Other decisions could bring notable residential and commercial development to a growing city.
Council spent much of its time on the Mt. Holly and Albright decision Monday, due to apartments there and a new state law that allows apartment properties to get around property tax payments. Council members say they aren’t likely to approve new apartment plans without a state law change or agreements with developers on the tax issue.
Rock Hill leaders OK with apartments, balk at SC law that allows break on property taxes
Here’s a look at other decisions from city officials:
▪ Council gave initial approval to a sale agreement amendment for the former Rock Hill Herald property on West Main Street. This summer, the city began the sale process on two acres of West White Street property associated with the larger Herald site redevelopment with apartments, office and retail. The larger former newspaper headquarters site is more than five acres at West Main and Dave Lyle Boulevard.
Rock Hill makes a move to ready redevelopment of the former Herald site downtown
A Charlotte-based company bought the newspaper site in 2021 for $1.6 million. It was part of a slew of downtown redevelopment plans at the time set to bring more than half a billion dollars of new property value and investment to the city.
The city owns seven land parcels that run almost the full White Street side of the block, connected to the larger former Herald site. City attorney Paul Dillingham said Monday night the amendment would help facilitate redevelopment. The second and final vote on the amendment won’t come, Dillingham said, until the city is briefed on a business deal still being worked out for the development and a development agreement is ready to consider.
“There are some easements and some old utility lines on the site that need to be moved around, abandoned,” Dillingham said of Monday’s amendment decision. “There’s an old alley. A few other miscellaneous interests in the property that the city needs to give up in exchange for new easements and new development plans.”
▪ Council finalized annexation and rezoning of about 8 acres at India Hook and Celanese roads for commercial use. Landover One, a company affiliated with the Warren Norman Company, filed for the changes earlier this year but waited on final approval until the project got full site plan review from the city.
The project would convert five home lots on Sharonwood Lake and three other lots on India Hook to commercial property with restaurant and retail space. Prior submitted plans show three drive-thru restaurants and a central retail or office building.
Rock Hill could be home to new restaurants, construction company headquarters
▪ The city finalized a sale of property on West Main Street to the Housing Development Corporation of Rock Hill. That nonprofit group develops, builds rents and improves affordable housing options in the city. It’s responsible for neighborhoods like Greentree, Briarcliff and Village at Arcade.
For $1 between them, the city will sell the housing development group 405 W. Main St. and get back from that group property at 90 Reynolds St. The West Main address includes a 1950 residential construction previously owned by Clemons Funeral Home. The Reynolds Street address is vacant property in the Arcade Cotton Mill area.
▪ Council approved a growth management incentive for the Poettker Construction project at 2657 Longmeadow Road. Incentives are a break on various fees to bring in business, offered by the city. The Poettker incentive would involve impact, building permit and water meter fees at about a $58,000 reduction.
Lisa Brown, director of strategy management for the city, said Poettker looked at Rock Hill and two North Carolina cities for what the company submitted as a southeast regional headquarters site.
“It’s 25,000 square feet of an office building as well as a warehouse,” Brown said. “It’s almost a $15 million investment.”
The project would bring 52 jobs, Brown said, at an average annual salary of $90,000.
▪ Council gave initial approval to a rezoning of more than 8 acres at 2061 Oak Pond Road that would allow a family to build a home on the property with farm animals.
▪ Council gave initial approval to annex and rezone a pump station site at more than an acre at 215 E. Robertson Road, near South Pointe High School.
