Outdoor amphitheater expands entertainment options at long-beleaguered Roanoke Rapids site
REQUEST. THE COMPANY DID NOT
HAVE ANYONE AVAILABLE TO
COMMENT TODAY. ALL RIGHT.
IF YOU DRIVE UP I-NINETY-FIVE
APPROACHING THE VIRGINIA
BORDER, YOU CAN'T MISS IT.
THE WELDON MILLS, THE UTTER
FORMALLY, THE ROANOKE RAPIDS
THEATER. AND BEFORE THAT, THE
RANDY PARTON THEATER MORE ON
THIS PLACE IS PAST IN A MOMENT.
IT'S WILD. BUT RIGHT NOW, LET'S
FOCUS ON THE FUTURE AND
ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT IN
AMPHITHEATER SHOPPING AND
RESTAURANTS. LYNYRD SKYNYRD IS
COMING NEXT MONTH. ONLY ON
WRAL, HEIDI KIRK TAKES US TO
ROANOKE RAPIDS TO THE ONCE DUE
TO DISTRICT MAKING A COMEBACK.
>> ONCE UPON A TIME, THIS WAS
THE DREAM FOR
THIS AREA DEVELOPMENT ON 350
ACRES FOR AN ENTERTAINMENT
DISTRICT AND AT THE HEART OF
IT, THIS AMPITHEATER AND THAT'S
FINALLY A DREAM THAT'S BECOMING
REALITY.
>> WE'RE WORKING HARD TO GET IT
DONE MORE.
>> THEY'RE CALLING IT THE
CAROLINA CROSSROADS AMPITHEATER
RIGHT OFF I-NINETY-FIVE BEHIND
THE WELDON MILLS THEATER.
BUT EVERYBODY'S BEEN PULLING
TOGETHER.
>> WORKING AS HARD AS THEY CAN
TO GET THIS GOING. BRUCE TYLER
IS ONE OF THE MASTERMINDS
BEHIND THIS. HE'S PART OF THE
TEAM AT CAROLINA CAPITAL GROUP.
TRANSFORMING A ONCE FAILED
VISION INTO A REALITY.
>> AT ITS HEART, THE THEATER,
THE COMMUNITY IS INVESTED SO
MUCH INTO THIS THEATER AND HAS
NOT HAD A BIG RETURN OUT OF IT.
NOW THAT RETURN IS HOPEFULLY ON
THE WAY THE THEATERS ALREADY
BRINGING IN BIG ACTS. AND NOW
THE AMPITHEATER HAS A LINEUP
WITH EVEN MORE. THE LONG-TERM
PLAN INCLUDES A WATER PARK,
A DISTILLERY AND EVEN MORE ON
THIS PROPERTY TO ITS DESIGNED
TO HAVE ENTERTAINMENT FOR
EVERYONE, DIFFERENT KINDS OF
ENTERTAINMENT. IT'S DESIGNED
TO BE A DESTINATION THAT WAS
ALWAYS THE PLAN AND WHY THE
CITY INVESTED MILLIONS HERE.
ONCE UPON A TIME. INTERESTING
ITS SUCCESS IN RANDY PARTON.
DOLLY PARTON'S BROTHER WHO WAS
EVENTUALLY OUSTED AND THE
THEATER'S SAT EMPTY FOR YEARS.
IT'S HIGH PRESSURE FOR THE TEAM
YEAR IN NOW, THE REASON WHY
THIS THEATER SO SPECIAL TO US
IS WE OWE IT TO THE COMMUNITY
TO TURN THIS INTO A THRIVING,
SUCCESSFUL OPERATION.
>> THAT WAY THEY CAN BE REPAID
FOR ALL OF THE INVESTMENT THAT
THEY MADE INTO THIS. THE 8 ARE
SITTING HIGH ON A HILL, A
REMINDER OF WHAT WAS IN WHAT'S
TO COME, HEIDI KIRK, WRAL,
NEWS, ROANOKE RAPIDS, THE
THEATER'S FIRST EVENT IS ON
AUGUST. 15TH.
>> LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK.
REMEMBER, THIS PLACE HAS A WILD
PAST. IT INVOLVES A FEDERAL
INVESTIGATION. A REVOLVING DOOR
OF OWNERSHIP AND THE LATE RANDY
PARTON. TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
THIS NEW CHAPTER FOR THE
THEATER. LET'S ANSWER THE
QUESTION. HOW DO WE GET HERE?
THE THEATER FIRST OPENED IN
2005 ROANOKE RAPIDS BORROWED
21 MILLION DOLLARS TO MAKE IT
HAPPEN. IT WAS CALLED THE RANDY
PARTON THEATER NAMED FOR DOLLY
PARTON IS LITTLE BROTHER.
YEAH. AND THEY HAVE A JOB AT
THE RANDY PARTON. SEE SO WHY
DID HE HELP JUMP-START THE
PROJECT AND PERFORM THERE TOO?
>> THE CITY PAID HIM A MILLION
DOLLARS A YEAR. PLUS A CAR AND
A HOUSE. BUT THINGS WENT SOUR
JUST 2 YEARS LATER IN 2007, THE
CITY BANNED RANDY PARTON FROM
THE THEATER. THEY CLAIM HE
SHOWED UP DRUNK FOR HIS
PERFORMANCE IS AN ACCUSATION
THAT HE DENIED BAIL. I GUESS WE
JUST GOT TO DO THAT THE PLACE.
BUT DO YOU THINK I'VE DONE
EVERYTHING THAT'S POSED TO DO?
I HAVE HONORED ALL NOT
AGREEMENTS AT ONE POINT FEDERAL
INVESTIGATORS GOT INVOLVED IN
THE END, THE CITY BOUGHT OUT
PARDONS, CONTRACT AND CHANGE
THE NAME TO ROANOKE RAPIDS
THEATER. I LOVE THIS STATE AND
I WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO
SUPPORT THIS. PAY. A TOUGH
BUSINESS WASN'T GREAT FOR
YEARS. THERE WAS A REVOLVING
DOOR OF NEW MANAGEMENT FROM
NASHVILLE, CHICAGO, MYRTLE
BEACH AND MORE IN 2012, THE
COMPANY FROM ARKANSAS TOOK
OVER. THEY CHANGE THE NAME TO
THE ROYAL PALACE THEATER AND
TRIED TO PUT INTERNET
SWEEPSTAKES GAMES INTO THE
BUILDING. AND THERE WERE IN
JUST 5 GAMES WILL BE MORE
IMPORTANT THAN THE SHOWS.
WE'RE HERE TO OPERATE AT THE
8 OR DIDN'T WORK EITHER MORE
YEARS WENT BY MORE MANAGEMENT
CHANGES AND MORE UNPAID DEBT.
IT GOT SO BAD. THE CITY ASKED
FOR A 7 AND A HALF MILLION
DOLLAR BAILOUT FROM THE STATE.
THEY DIDN'T GET IT. THE THEATER
SAT EMPTY FOR 10 YEARS. THEN
IN 2023, THE THEATER SOLD TO A
COMPANY JUST 10 MINUTES DOWN
THE ROAD. WELDON MILLS
DISTILLERY, A NEW NAME, THE
WELDON MILLS THEATER AND A NEW
START. LYNYRD SKYNYRD TAKES THE
STAGE THIS FALL AND THAT'S HOW