ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – The city of Rock Hill recently received two 2025 Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for The Thread and University Center projects which are in the heart of the city’s Knowledge Park.
The Thread was named a Silver Winner in the Real Estate Development & Reuse category. The transformative adaptive reuse project revitalized a 400,000-square-foot former textile mill into a vibrant community hub. Accomplished through a $106 million investment, The Thread is a collaborative effort among The Keith Corporation, Springs Creative, Springsteen Properties and Capitol Broadcasting Company.
Winthrop has a stake in The Thread, with its newly opened J. Robert Bazemore Design Center for interior design students. The 5,000-square-foot center offers modern classrooms and honors the legacy of Winthrop alumnus and interior design visionary J. Robert “Bob” Bazemore ’85.
Meanwhile, an adjacent building which is part of the Bleachery Redevelopment - University Center earned the status of Gold Winner in the Public-Private Partnership for its final phases. Started in 2015, developers and city officials carried out a vision of transforming the former Rock Hill Printing & Finishing Company site, known as “The Bleachery,” into a vibrant mixed-use development.
One of the tenants inside what is the former Lowenstein Building is Winthrop’s Esports Center. Home of the university’s nationally ranked esports team, the 6,500-square-foot center contains five varsity team game room spaces, a large open game room with seating for 56, a conference/team meeting room and four offices.
The International Economic Development Council deemed the Bleachery Redevelopment project as an excellent public-private partnership. It involved public ownership of the site, tenancy created by the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center, the facilitation of federal, state and local incentives to the developer, and the deployment of significant infrastructure – all done to leverage investment of over $220 million.
The two projects connected downtown Rock Hill and Winthrop, led to increased employment through the attraction and creation of businesses and fostered the development of additional amenities such as restaurants, meeting places, entertainment and retail options. It provided a place for knowledge economy businesses and their employees, as well as residential populations, to thrive, and it redeveloped vacant and obsolete real estate assets into productive, functional uses.
Winthrop currently is improving its entrance to the University Center with its Southwest Gateway Project. Now under construction, the entrance will connect the campus sidewalk network to Stewart Avenue at the railroad crossing in order to provide a safe pedestrian walkway between the campus and Knowledge Park.
The IEDC awards will be presented at the IEDC 2025 Annual Conference in Detroit, Michigan, Sept. 14-17.
IEDC officials praised the city of Rock Hill as a leader in the field of excellence
in economic development with these projects. “This award shines a spotlight on Rock
Hill’s commitment to its community and showcases the significant impact of economic
development,” said Nathan Ohle, IEDC president and CEO. “IEDC is honored to present
this award to the city of Rock Hill to celebrate both its leadership and innovation
in the field."
Rock Hill Mayor John Gettys is proud of the city’s work. “Regionally, we’re well aware
of the significant impact The Thread and University Center developments have on our
community—both with their storied pasts and the vibrant energy they’re bringing once
again. It’s gratifying that industry leaders at IEDC also recognize these projects
as being among the best of the best on a global stage,” he said.
Winthrop President Edward Serna ’02 said that Winthrop is thrilled to be a key partner with the city and the private sector in developing Knowledge Park. “We have expanded the university’s footprint into the Rock Hill community in projects that will allow each of us to flourish,” he added. “We’re proud to be a part of this incredible revitalization effort, and we commend the city and other partners for working collaboratively to create such a vibrant downtown area to which our Winthrop students will be drawn for the myriad opportunities offered.”
Each year, IEDC honors economic development organizations, government entities, initiatives and programs that consistently demonstrate excellence in the field. The honorees lead transformational projects that revitalize communities and advance the practice of economic development. IEDC is the largest economic development membership organization in the world with over 4,500 members.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, Winthrop’s news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu or Katie Quinn, communications and marketing manager with the city of Rock Hill, at katie.quinn@cityofrockhill.com.
