Advisory committee set to review Gilmore proposal

Lance Martin/Herald Senior Staff Writer

ROANOKE RAPIDS - The Theatre Advisory Committee plans to review the proposed contract with Calvin Gilmore during a meeting Monday afternoon at Roanoke Rapids City Hall.

The meeting begins at 4 p.m. Committee Chairman Hugh Bazemore said he was not sure whether the committee, which will meet in closed session, will make any recommendations to City Council.

The Monday meeting will mark the first time the full committee has seen the proposed contract with Gilmore Entertainment Group.

While he would not speak for the committee, Bazemore said he had personal concerns with the proposal, which mirrored comments made by Mayor Drewery Beale following council's meeting Tuesday night. “My concern is it may require more money than is in reserves and in the budget,” Bazemore said.

While he has not seen exact figures, Bazemore said, “It is a large window that is hard to decipher. It's my concern it might cost a lot more. At this point we have not got far along to determine how much.”

City Manager Phyllis Lee said officials are still trying to determine how much it will cost for Gilmore, who owns the Carolina Opry in Myrtle Beach, to operate The Roanoke Rapids Theatre.

Beale confirmed Tuesday Council has concerns about the proposal and one of them is cost. It appears it might cost the city more than the $5 million allotted in this year's budget for Gilmore to run the theater, which is currently closed.

The city was operating with a letter of intent for Gilmore to run the theater. The letter expired on June 1 and was renewed. The renewal lapsed on July 1 and council has not approved an extension.

The letter of intent calls for the theater to be managed by Gilmore Entertainment Group as an independent contractor for five years, with two optional five-year terms.

Under the terms of the letter, the city would pay Gilmore an annual management fee of $500,000 and an additional 10 percent of the net operating profit up to $1 million, and a 40 percent fee of any net operating profits more than $1 million. The city would be responsible for nearly all the theater's expenses and costs.