Roanoke Rapids Owed Money, Management Firm Says

Roanoke Rapids, N.C. — The former management firm of the Roanoke Rapids Theatre on Tuesday released more details of a letter of intent between the company and the city.

UGL Unicco announced Monday it was terminating its contract because the city failed to make a $113,000 payment on operating costs. The city responded, saying it was a payment for future services it no longer wanted.

But in Tuesday's statement Unicco said the payment was the difference from a Jan. 25 bill for $243,000. The city paid $130,000, Unicco said, and was expected to pay the rest by Feb. 15.

"The city informed UGL Unicco that they would not pay, leading us to believe that they had never intended to pay the remainder of the cost necessary to keep the theater running throughout the month of February," the statement said.

Unicco also said the city agreed to not solicit or employ key employees without written consent. The city said Monday it intended to offer jobs to all theater employees.

The City Council ended its relationship with UGL Unicco last week, giving the company a 30-day notice.

Unicco was hired after the city withdrew management responsibilities from country signer Randy Parton, who had been hired to perform at and manage the venue, originally named The Randy Parton Theater.