Roanoke Rapids City Council votes to end theater contract

Roanoke Rapids, N.C. — The Roanoke Rapids City Council voted Monday to end its contract with the owner of its troubled music theater because of late lease payments.

Lafayette Gatling, a North Carolina native who has built a business empire on shopping centers, an Illinois casino and a chain of funeral homes, agreed last year to a $12.5 million lease-purchase plan for the Roanoke Rapids Theatre.

Roanoke Rapids Mayor Emery Doughtie said Monday evening that Gatling owes $182,000 in back payments.

Gatling was purchasing the property from the city, which took out a $21.5 million loan in 2005 to build the 1,500-seat entertainment complex. Officials expected the theater to spur growth along Interstate 95 and generate enough tax revenue to pay off the loan.

At the time, the city signed a deal with country music singer Randy Parton, brother of entertainer Dolly Parton, to run the theater and perform there.

When that relationship soured in 2008 and the national economic slump began, the theater dipped even further into red ink, forcing Roanoke Rapids to increase local taxes to help pay the venue's bills.

No timetable was set for when Gatling must be out of the theater.

Doughtie said he hopes to start negotiations soon to keep some shows at the theater in the coming months.

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Latest Comments

DeathRow-IFeelYourPain-NOT

Good deal! I can live with that.

As long as you conservative morons keep nominating the morally challenged like McCain and Palin, or just plain old alcoholics like Bush to run on your ticket, we'll get that chance.

You have only have yourselves to blame for the current President. Your indifference and over-confidence was your undoing.

5-113 FA Retired
April 27, 2010 5:16 p.m.

Just tear it down and be done with it. This has been a failed concept from the very beginning.....lessons learned to others on what not to do.

starglow2005
April 27, 2010 1:15 p.m.

High end truck stop? Hmmm How about a Mustang Ranch?! Now that would make some serious $$$$$$

aspenstreet1717
April 27, 2010 1:04 p.m.

"Had anyone ever heard of Randy Parton before this mess began?"

Absolutely not! He wasn't even on country music fan's radar. I think they believed his sister would somehow help him have some credibility. It was just a stupid idea from the beginning and he probably earned more for it then he did in his entire singing career to that point.

I like the idea of making it a high end truck stop. The location is perfect for it.

KevInApex
April 27, 2010 1:01 p.m.

Someone finally pointed this place out to me on a recent trip up north on I95. It is way out in the middle of no where. What a dumb decision to even build much less think it would actually do well enough to pay for itself.