Carolina Crossroads facts for kids
Carolina Crossroads was a huge entertainment project planned for about 1,000 acres (4.0 km²) near Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. It was located close to where I-95 meets US 158. The main goal of this project was to create new jobs and help the area switch from a manufacturing economy (like factories) to one based on tourism. Many textile mills had closed, and jobs were leaving the area, so leaders hoped Carolina Crossroads would bring new life.
The idea was inspired by places like Branson, Missouri, which attracts many performers and tourists. Planners thought the location was perfect because it's roughly halfway between New York and Florida, right off I-95. It's also between big cities like Raleigh, North Carolina, Richmond, Virginia, and the Hampton Roads, Virginia area.
The complex was designed to have many exciting features. These included an indoor theater, a large outdoor amphitheater, an RV park for campers, an aquarium, a water park, lots of shops, and hotels. There was even a plan for a "Black Widow Billiards Center," named after famous pool player Jeanette Lee.
A rock-and-roll-themed amusement park was also part of the big plan. Carolina Crossroads even bought a historic wooden roller coaster called the Zippin Pippin. This coaster was one of the oldest wooden roller coasters around! It came from a park called Libertyland in Memphis, Tennessee, which had closed. However, the amusement park never got built. Carolina Crossroads later gave almost all of the coaster back to Libertyland, but they kept one car. They still hoped to build a copy of the famous coaster someday.
By the summer of 2008, only a few parts of the project were finished. These included the indoor theater, the amphitheater, the RV park, and one hotel (a Hilton Garden Inn). The theater was meant to be the most important part of the whole development, but it faced many challenges with money, politics, and legal issues.
Building the Theater: Early Plans
The city of Roanoke Rapids borrowed $21.5 million to build the indoor theater. They made a deal with Randy Parton, who is the brother of famous country music star Dolly Parton. Randy Parton was hired to perform at and manage the theater. His contract was worth $1.5 million each year. The city also agreed to give him a nice home and a car.
The theater opened on November 11, 2005, and was named the Randy Parton Theater. However, it struggled to attract enough visitors. The theater was several hours away from big cities like Raleigh, North Carolina, and Norfolk, Virginia. To make enough money, about 1,500 people needed to buy tickets for each show. But often, only a few hundred people showed up.
Concerns also arose about how funds were being used. Randy Parton was given access to nearly $3 million with little supervision. Reports suggested some of these funds were used for personal travel and entertainment. In late 2007, the mayor of Roanoke Rapids, Drewery N. Beale, spoke with Parton before a show. Parton was later driven home by police and gave a controversial interview to a TV crew. City leaders also questioned Parton about events held at the theater without permission, like a wedding reception for his daughter. They also asked about who was supposed to be promoting the theater.
Changes in Management and Ownership
Many people questioned the decisions made by the local government in Roanoke Rapids and the North Carolina Local Government Commission. They wondered why the project was allowed to move forward and why money was borrowed to build it. The plan relied on two hotels and a shopping center being ready when the theater opened, but this did not happen.
In November 2007, the city took control of the theater from Randy Parton. They hired a company called UGL Unicco to manage it for a short time. By early 2008, UGL Unicco had booked more than 30 shows. During this time, the theater actually made a profit of $17,000 for the first time. Before this, it had lost over $1 million under Parton's management.
On January 8, 2008, the city of Roanoke Rapids ended Randy Parton's contract. The theater was renamed the Roanoke Rapids Theater. Shows continued, but ticket sales were still low. Some details about contracts between the city, performers, and other employees were kept secret. However, local news groups got them using the Freedom of Information Act. It was found that some people who helped bring the theater to the area later worked for the theater and were paid large salaries, which some employees felt were not earned. Payments to Parton's daughters were also questioned. There were also questions about fundraising efforts connected to the Carolina Crossroads project, leading to a state official's resignation.
On February 18, 2008, UGL Unicco ended its contract with the city. They said the city had repeatedly missed payments of over $100,000. After that, the city managed the theater itself until it closed in the summer of 2008. In December 2009, the city announced it was selling the theater to Lafayette Gatling from Chicago, Illinois. It reopened and was again called the Roanoke Rapids Theatre. But in April 2010, the city ended the contract with Gatling because of late payments. In June 2010, the city went to court to get Gatling to leave the theater. In August 2010, a court ordered Gatling to return the property to the city. The city then signed a new management contract, and two events were held at the theater in 2011.
Separately, the outdoor amphitheater was briefly known as the Atlantic One Amphitheater. The last event under that name was in July 2009. A new owner, Carolina Dirt, bought it and renamed it The Festival Park at Carolina Crossroads. An event was planned there for June 2011.
In November 2011, the city agreed to sell the theater completely to Gatling to help reduce the city's debt from the project. However, this deal did not go through. In September 2012, the city leased the theater to HSV Entertainment, a company from Arkansas. They renamed it the Royal Palace Theatre. Events were announced for October 2012, and the city also said that electronic gaming would be available at the theater.
In May 2015, the city ended HSV's lease of the theater after an agreement with the government.
In 2016, the city tried to sell the theater through an auction. The auction was not successful, so the city kept ownership. Finally, on July 23, 2018, the city sold the theater.
The theater is still open sometimes, but the amphitheater is not. In 2019, the North Carolina General Assembly thought about creating a law to help the city pay off its remaining debt for the theater.
What's Next for Carolina Crossroads?
The future of Carolina Crossroads is still uncertain. On January 23, 2008, a special ceremony was held next to the theater for a new shopping area. This area was supposed to have a restaurant and eight retail shops. However, no construction ever started. Most of the land for the project remains undeveloped.
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