Neighbors write letters encouraging leaders to act on Heritage Tower issue – WSOC TV

FORT MILL, S.C.,None — Eric Kinsinger believes the eyesore standing above the trees just beyond his Fort Mill home has to come down.

He's talking about the 21-story Heritage Tower on the property of the former Heritage USA Christian theme park. The tower has sat vacant for 25 years, since the fall of Jim Bakker's PTL ministry in the late 80s.

"If it was my house in that kind of disrepair, it would have been torn down a long time ago. The neighbors would be screaming," he said.

One street over, off A.O. Jones Boulevard, neighbor Lisa Tummers agrees.

"It's dilapidated, there are things falling off of it, and we just began to get concerned," she said. "Something has to be done."

After months of no action on the tower, Kinsigner decided to rally his neighbors to write letters to York County officials. The letters, which will be mailed on Tuesday, detail the county's own code of laws about derelict buildings, and encourage elected leaders to act.

"I don't think it'll do anything, but at least it'll show them that we're still out here," Kinsinger said.

Morning Star church bought the tower when it took over some of the former PTL property six years ago. Since then, the church has completely renovated the former grand hotel. That building now houses the church, a school and other facilities.

Morning Star pastor Rick Joyner announced big plans for the empty Heritage Tower two years ago. The goal is to turn the massive building into a retirement community. Roughly 150 people have already put down deposits, waiting until the project can be finished.

"We were close to getting the backing we needed when the county, I think wrongly, suddenly told us we were in default on the agreement," Joyner said.

York County leaders have said Morning Star church was required to show them that they had the money to finish the $35 million project.

They claim the church has never shown evidence they have the financial support to make it work.

After talks between the church and the county broke down, both sides agreed to bring in a mediator to avoid a lawsuit.

Those meetings have gone on since last spring.

On Monday, York County Council member Britt Blackwell said he's as frustrated as many neighbors are, and still waiting for answers.

"We're still waiting to hear from this mediator. I keep asking about what decision has been made every month," Blackwell said. “We can't do anything at all until the mediation is over."

Both sides told Channel 9 that virtually nothing has been accomplished or agreed to after months of mediation with a third party.

Many neighbors in the new subdivisions that have popped up since the demise of Heritage USA want to see the tower remain.

Sandy Hall can see it from her backyard. She urges those involved to be patient, and work something out for the benefit of senior citizens who will one day live there.

"I can see it from my living room window, and it's ugly, but in my heart I believe there's a purpose for it, and I'm willing to wait," she said.

Pastor Joyner blames the economic meltdown in 2008, and the slow recovery for the delay in getting the money to move forward. However, he said the church is committed to the tower.

"We will not quit until that thing is finished, people are in it, the lights are on and it's the crown jewel of the county," Joyner said. "I empathize with our neighbors who say it's an eyesore and they want to see it done. No one wants it done more than us."

An engineering company has told Morning Star church that the tower is structurally sound and in no danger of collapsing.

Church leaders plan to meet with county officials and a mediator once again next month. It's not clear what will happen then, but Morning Star is prepared to move ahead with a lawsuit if an agreement can't be reached.

In fact, Joyner told Channel 9 that the church was one day away from filing a suit last month, when the county approached them again, asking to resume talks on the issue.

WSOC