The NFL’s Carolina Panthers will mark their return to Spartanburg for their 2017 training camp at Wofford College by helping to tackle need in the city’s Northside community.
The Panthers announced Tuesday they will gift a $200,000 grant to Spartanburg’s Northside Development Initiative during a ceremony at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday prior to the team’s opening practice at Wofford’s Gibbs Stadium.
Presented by Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, the grant will be used to support the construction of a new athletic field at the planned TK Gregg Community Center, a site which formerly housed Oakview Apartments off Howard Street.
“The Carolina Panthers are strong supporters of youth football across the region,” said Riley Fields, the team’s director of community relations, in a statement. “The team is pleased to provide resources that will help build a new athletic field to benefit Spartanburg’s Northside community and the enhanced opportunities for youth football and other recreation programs the field will provide.”
The Panthers said the field will serve the Spartanburg County Parks and Recreation Department’s Little Vikings youth football programs and other community recreation opportunities by providing increased programming flexibility and a safe and durable playing surface.
Rivera is expected to present a ceremonial check to Bill Barnet, former Spartanburg mayor and chairman of the Northside Development Group; Mitch Kennedy, the city’s community services director; and players from the Little Vikings program.
The team did not say whether its owner and founder Jerry Richardson will attend the ceremony.
Richardson graduated from Wofford in 1959 and played two seasons for the Baltimore Colts before returning to Spartanburg to open his first Hardee’s franchise with his college friend Charles Bradshaw, and three other partners.
The group formed Spartan Investments and opened their first Hardee’s store at 431 E. Kennedy St. near downtown Spartanburg.
Their franchise continued to take flight and in 1969 the company was renamed Spartan Foods Systems.
Spartan Foods purchased the Quincy’s Steakhouse chain in 1977.
In 1979, Trans World Corp., which owned Canteen Corp. and other hospitality and airline assets, acquired Spartan Foods.
Richardson continued to serve as part of the company’s executive leadership.
Trans World became TW Services Inc. in 1986. The company added Denny’s and El Pollo Loco to its restaurant portfolio.
After a series of mergers and divestures, the company became Flagstar in the early 1990s.
Richardson resigned as chairman of Flagstar in 1995.
Flagstar filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the late 1990s and emerged as Advantica Restaurant Group. The company sold off its Hardee’s, El Pollo Loco, and Quincy’s franchises, and acquired the Coco’s and Carrows chains.
In 2000, Advantica sold Coco’s and Carrows and changed its name to Denny’s. The company is still headquartered in downtown Spartanburg.
“The interest of Mr. Richardson and the Panthers organization, with Wofford involved, is terrific for the youth of our community,” Barnet said. “Some of us have seen some of the facilities they have supported in Charlotte [N.C.] and elsewhere. These facilities provide opportunities for [youth players] to showcase their skills… We are certainly thankful for their support.”
Oakview Apartments was an aging 105-unit, low-income housing complex.
The city condemned the apartments in January 2015 and took control of them in December of that year.
In July 2016, Spartanburg City Council approved the $1.9 million purchase of the nearly 6-acre property to pave the way for the development of the proposed $10 million TK Gregg Community Center.
The transaction ended the city’s protracted struggle to acquire the property from Related Companies, a New York-based real estate firm founded and chaired by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.
With help from the Northside Development Group and Spartanburg Housing Authority, the city was able to help the remaining apartment tenants relocate before demolition of the complex began in January.
But city council was unable to decide in January whether the center should have an indoor or outdoor pool, which has delayed construction of the facility.
Assistant City Manager Chris Story said he hopes a final decision will be made soon and construction could begin in 2018.
Story said design plans are still being finalized.
The Northside Development Group’s website said, in addition to a pool, the center will have a large fitness room, outdoor tennis courts, outdoor basketball courts, meeting space, and space for after-school programs, computer courses, and financial literacy classes.
