’A headquarters destination’: What Project Silver may bring Lancaster County

An 87-acre Indian Land site is up for rezoning and could bring a massive corporate location near Bridgemill, Ansley Park and Thousand Oaks.

The 9258 Charlotte Hwy. site currently has a home with a garage and barn.

The plan for what’s called “Project Silver” shows a two-story, 300,00-square-foot office building. The site would have 350 employee parking spaces. A 22,000-square-foot park area with its own parking is included, along with almost 2 miles of walking trails.

The concept plan shows a 100-foot buffer off the main highway, about 7 miles from the nearest interstate. The project is just south of Thousands Oaks Road on the same side of the highway, opposite and north from Bridgemill Drive. The site stretches from U.S. 521 almost to Henry Harris Road.

The concept plan shows two entrances off U.S. 521. One would run past the proposed office building into a cul-de-sac.

Jamie Gilbert, director of economic development for the county, has been working with the property owner to create new office space. The county routinely has companies interested in bringing in new business and needs more potential locations to show.

“We’re trying to identify properties that might work for that,” Gilbert said. “We’ve had a lot of interest.”

Gilbert said the project could take six or eight months before a potential tenant is named. Lancaster County has had success in drawing corporate headquarters from Red Ventures and Movement Mortgage to credit unions and tire makers. Gilbert’s office lists 10 headquarters or major corporations in the county combining for more than 5,000 jobs.

“We’ve become a headquarters destination,” Gilbert said.

The 87-acre site goes to the county planning commission March 19 for rezoning. Lancaster County Council would give final approval.

At the same planning commission meeting, an almost 5-acre site is up for rezoning from residential to business use between U.S. 521 and Charles Pettus Road in Indian Land. Plans there are for retail or office space. Another decision would allow owners at 651 Jim Wilson Road to build a church on 13 acres.

Four more sites, at about an acre or less each, would rezone land for a variety of business and residential uses.

By John Marks, staff reporter with The Fort Mill Times