Rock Hill, S.C., Mayor John Gettys spoke out for the first time since the Carolina Panthers terminated agreements to build a training facility in Rock Hill and David Tepper’s GT Real Estate subsequently filed for bankruptcy, accusing Tepper of filing bankruptcy to avoid paying contractors for their work on the project. In early March, Tepper Sports and Entertainment, another one of David Tepper’s companies, said it was pausing the Rock Hill project because the city of Rock Hill did not hold up its end of the bargain in the deal. WCNC Charlotte later discovered the city failed to secure $225 million in bonds to pay for roads, sidewalks and other public infrastructure on the site. Gettys denies any wrongdoing by the city. In a statement released in April, the city of Rock Hill said that it “met all obligations required under the agreements.” “With the Panthers, the owner filed for bankruptcy in order to get away from paying his general contractors that they got to move down to this area, which is what it is,” Gettys said on Thursday. GT Real Estate owes creditors millions of dollars. Among them is York County, with a claim of $21 million, as well as Mascaro/Barton Malow, a joint venture construction management group over the site project, with a $26 million claim. On the filing paperwork, the city of Rock Hill is listed as a creditor for just over $100 in unpaid utility payments.
