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The 10:30 a.m. event is expected to attract thousands of people to the now near-vacant fields at the intersection of Interstate 95 and North Carolina Highway 125, Exit 171. The event is free to the public with commemorative T-shirts given to the first 5,000 people who arrive.
For Randy Parton, his wife, Deb, and a host of Valley residents and businesses, Friday's groundbreaking is the realization of a dream and justification for thousands of hours of hard work and planning.
Phase one of Carolina Crossroads is a $129 million, 800-acre project anchored by the 35,000-square-foot, 1,500-seat Randy Parton Theater. To help kick off the construction Friday, Parton's family will join in the festivities.
Included on the list are his sisters, country superstar Dolly, Stella, Rachel and Cassie.
Grand Ole Opry legends joining in marking the day are Billy Walker, Jim Ed Brown, Jeannie Seely, Ray Pillow, Jan Howard and Helen Cornelius.
Many of these performers may appear at The Randy Parton Theater, which will feature Randy Parton and will host up-and-coming pop, beach, gospel and a variety of other musical shows and concerts.
“These country music greats helped pave the way for the country artists of today,” commented Randy Parton in a press statement formally announcing the long-awaited day. “Deb and I are honored to share this exciting event with my family, these legends in the music business, our business partners and the people of Roanoke Rapids and Halifax County.”
Carolina Crossroads will include the Randy Parton Theater, other venues, an aquarium, hotels, restaurants and a variety of other entertainment and family-oriented offerings.
“This project will be an economic boost not only to Roanoke Rapids, but to the surrounding towns and tourist attractions,” said Michael Dunlow, who with his partner, George Ragsdale, is developing the entertainment district. “It's a huge venture that we envision will turn this area into the foremost entertainment destination on the eastern corridor,” said Ragsdale.
Roanoke Rapids Mayor Drewery Beale, a key player in formulating the plan that attracted Parton to Roanoke Rapids, said, “Where today passers-by see green fields and pine trees, I see the beginning of a great transformation of our community ... I see economic opportunity and excitement like we've never seen before. This is a new beginning for us, and I'm honored that our city can join with all the development partners involved to make this transformation a reality.”
A study by the Carolina Center for Competitive Economics at UNC-Chapel Hill supports the economic opportunity this project is proposed to create, according to the developers. The study estimates that The Randy Parton Theater & Carolina Crossroads Music & Entertainment District will increase industry output in the area by over $500 million, create more than 12,000 jobs, and increase labor income by $204.7 million over the next five years.
“The economic impact of this project is staggering, and will be felt for generations to come,” said Jack Runion, chairman of North Carolina's Northeast Partnership Inc., a group that was instrumental in attracting Parton to the area. “This is an amazing venture that's getting strong support from all sides. We're proud to have played a part in putting it all together.”
Lori Medlin, executive director of the Halifax County Tourism Development Authority, sees this development as a tremendous boost to an already growing tourism industry. “Roanoke Rapids and Halifax County are halfway between New York and Florida and we want this to be a destination, a reason for people to spend several days enjoying themselves with a focus on music and family entertainment.”
The process leading to Randy and Deb Parton's selection of Roanoke Rapids for The Randy Parton Theater took place over several months. “We drove a lot of miles, visited many beautiful communities, and met a lot of great people in North Carolina's Northeast Region,” said Parton.
“The pull of the Roanoke Rapids area, with its strong leadership, friendly and warm community, and Interstate 95 travelers, made for the perfect combination for this project,” Parton added.
According to Deb Parton, Roanoke Rapids also offered the perfect blend of public and private cooperation.
“We have been so impressed at how focused and committed everyone has been to see this project through,” she said.
“There have been no issues that couldn't be overcome, which says a great deal about this community and what we can expect in the future.”
The November 11th groundbreaking ceremony takes place less than five months after Randy Parton inked a deal with the City of Roanoke Rapids, Roanoke Rapids Entertainment One and Blanchard & Calhoun Commercial to locate his theater in Roanoke Rapids. The theater and phase one of Carolina Crossroads are expected to open in April 2007.
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