ROANOKE RAPIDS, N.C. (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Carolina Crossroads Amphitheater has announced that it will be operating under new ownership.
According to the Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald, a partnership named Carolina Dirt LLC has acquired the amphitheater for a cool $660,000. Although the individuals behind Carolina Dirt were not disclosed, Michael Dunlow, the venue's former owner told the Daily Herald that they were entertainment professionals from Nashville and Kansas.
"They've got some exciting stuff planned," Dunlow said. "They're in the entertainment business, and they sure know what they're doing. It was the right people in there doing the right thing, and that makes the rest of it better." Dunlow added that he was constrained from elaborating on Carolina Dirt's 'planned stuff' due to the terms of the sales agreement.
Dunlow hopes that the sale might spark interest in buyers for the rest of the controversial Carolina Crossroads development. Originally conceived as a Branson-like vacation destination, the development was to include a rock-and-roll-themed amusement park, an aquarium, a water park, an indoor theatre, hotels retail space. Dolly Parton's brother Randy was brought in to perform and manage the theatre, but eventually terminated his contract due to soft ticket sales and alleged financial improprieties.
The Theatre, which was built with a $21 million subsidy from the city of Roanoke Rapids has gone through several owners and last week, awarded a management contract to Gil Cunningham with Nashville, Tenn.-based Neste Event Marketing. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
