THE CURE
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Why all the naysayer's?Why do we have all the negativity concerning Roanoke Rapids and Carolina Crossroads? There seems to be a vocal minority bent on stirring up discontent with our elected officials and the obvious progress that is being made here. What gives?
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summer
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I have sat back and put ALOT of thought into this whole RPT deal....
And I really don't see a win win situation. I don't think it's a bunch of naysayers trying to attack anyone --I just think people are genuinely concerned about the price we'll all have to pay for some bad judgement calls.
I personally don't have a desire to pay more and more taxes--for something that means absolutely zilch to me and that I am not benefiting from in any way....
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Cap'n Slappy
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Whether or not it pans out I can't fault the city council for trying to do something. The days of some mega industry coming in and building a plant that employees 3000 people at 50k a year are gone. If someone has a better idea than Carolina Crossroads I'd like to hear it.
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doomster
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A better idea, how about a better business plan and better follow thru on studies before spending that kinda cash. Sure, we need some kind of revenue builder here, thats a no-brainer. I think it would have went well if it had been planned out a little different, and the money been controlled a little better. $21.5 million is a ton to risk, especially since we have no other real calling card here to attract people. Some say the Lake will bring in some people.....thats normally not the case. Folks buy Lake property to get away from the world, get away and just relax, not go to RPT and then shop at some outlet. I've also heard its the 1/2 way point betwen New York and Florida, that is not a calling card, that means you either stop and get a hotel to rest, or you stop on burger blvd for a burger and move on down the road. Folks traveling on the interstate usually don't have time to stop in and watch and hour or two show, they are eager to get to their destination.
I've also been told and yelled at that it would bring in many needed jobs to this area. This is soooooo funny, how many local people do you know of that work at the RPT?? The only one that has a good salary is Randy himself, guarantee of 3/4 million and up to 1.5 million. Second thing is "who is Randy Parton?" Did you know him before, or ever heard of him before RPT and CCR came up on the agenda? Most folks had never heard of him before, and never heard any hit music he did either. Third thing is...do you think Randy is worth 1.5 million potential in a salary, he has no experience in managing one, has no hit songs, no hit records, most folks associate him as Dolly's brother, and that is no reason he should have a 1.5 million salary. Look at the ticket prices and figure in the operating expenses and see how long you gather it will take to pay back 21.5 million the city is responsible for paying if this thing flops. You take gambling trips with blow money, not tax money..........and this thing is more of a gamble than an investment, and the city is gambling with our money.
Dunlow and Ragsdale had the best idea with the CCR deal with the ampitheater, people will always go to a concert to see big bands, if you bring them, folks will pay to see them. But Randy has very little fan base that I know of compared to say Gretchen Wilson, Hank, Trace. And Dunlow does not have a big building to pay off either.
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slash
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The theater is only a small part of the operation and the rest of the stuff that has been mentioned will have to come together to make it a success. Roanoke Rapids will have to be a destination with multiple things to do if its going to work. I'm not hung up on the RPT as much as I am about the other things that were promised that won't use taxpayer money. What is the status of those projects?
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doomster
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| slash wrote: | | The theater is only a small part of the operation and the rest of the stuff that has been mentioned will have to come together to make it a success. Roanoke Rapids will have to be a destination with multiple things to do if its going to work. I'm not hung up on the RPT as much as I am about the other things that were promised that won't use taxpayer money. What is the status of those projects? |
Thats the problem you said it best........."promised." We are tired of living on promises, its time to put up or shut-up, searching in the court house last week a friend of mine could only find exchanges in that area for property that was purchased by the hotel management company where the hotel property had been sold. Everything else right now is speculation, a whim, there have been "looks" but no sales on anything else out there. And remember............that $21.5 million dollar note the city of Ro Rap took on has only ONE business out there contributing to the pay back of that note and that is the RPT. No sales of any property will ever contribute to paying back that loan, you can sign up every outlet store in America, every restaurant chain in the world and the only money that will contribute to paying back that loan is profits generated off ticket sales at the RPT. The way I see it, they will do just enough business to pay Randy and maintain the facility, it'll never pay for itself.
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Kestrel
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I tend to agree with doomster. I am really concerned by the amount of money Roanoke Rapids has spent on this idea, and the lack of progress. I know Rome wasn't built in a day, but Premier Blvd appeared to take off quicker than Carolina Crossroads, and it didn't cost the city anywhere near as much. But then I criticize Premier Blvd because much of the business that is now there simply relocated from elsewhere in Roanoke Rapids. How can one say moving businesses around within town is development that creates tax base and jobs?
And then I've heard folks say that the unemployed in this area wouldn't be hired because of poor work skills. And then there is the fact that service sector jobs don't pay very well. But then poor pay is better than no pay.
But I worry doomster is incorrect about the amphitheater. I've been told that outdoor amphitheater don't make much money, and actually loose money in some cases. I don't know how true that statement is, but I worries me.
Perhaps I just worry too much.
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Nighthawk
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In there defense on the ampitheater, I don't think they have been trying to make money on it. Hell most of the concerts they have donated large sums of money to charity with the proceeds. Obviously if your doing that, your not gonna make any money. At this point I think its just to let folks know about CCR and not about turning a profit on it, yet.
As for the concern Jim is raising about Java Junction, I have to go on the defense here. I have checked into it, and they DO have their karaoke permit. Also the houses are right at the 500 or greater mark, depending on exactly where you measure it from. I took a GPS reading from the road in front of JJ and road around the block and got the distance from the houses to the building, and came up with the closest right about 495 and that was from the road, not their yard or on their house. The building fire code deal I do NOT know anything about and can't say whether that is being violated. They are going to be using porta-johns outside for a couple weeks and had speakers and tables/chairs outside to act as a patio. Its a temporary thing and I think its in the publics best interest, instead of having people lined up at the one bathroom in JJ. Once it gets closer to the end they will be moving out to The Centre, but I think its kinda ridiculous to point at JJ and Mark Perry and compare the two. One runs a legit business that does karaoke once a week till 11 and the other ran a bar/restaurant that was open until 2 am, served liquor, wine, and beer (JJ has no liquor and will not) and was certainly not very family friendly, with all the fighting and $%^& going on down there. JJ has a very friendly atmosphere and has had only one minor scuffle in all the months that they have been doing karaoke.
And another thing, this idea that this is getting special treatment is strange, considering up until maybe a month ago it had NOTHING TO DO WITH CAROLINA CROSSROADS. Gavin from Schoollink is the one that owns and runs the karaoke setup out there with the guys from Java Junction. Prior to that it was running for a couple months with no issues and NO affiliation or support from CCR, and the mayor and city leaders had no problems with it then either.
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doomster
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Kestrel, if you look at the prices and see the potential that the ampitheater has, and compare it to the RPT, you'll see where I am coming from, lots of potential to put more folks inside for the event. Ticket sales for up to how many thousand, I know they said like 15,000 or so on the Trace concert. At $30-40 a pop that comes out pretty well. They also charge like a $1,000 a day for the vendors that set up and serve, so if its ten or twenty of them there, thats another $10,000 + made that is clear profit. They don't even have to have any labor or any cost on that profit, its clear money. I can't say thats wrong by any means, cause its only right to charge a vendor to serve in my eyes, and if they agree to doing it, then its their own decision. My point in the conversation was just saying its a shame the city couldn't have got in on part of that deal as well, and collected "some" of that revenue also, it would have helped a very long way to pay for the PRT. If and when they do schedule some big name music there, it will pay off well. People will go see the big names, we usually go see Kenney Chesney every year or so, he sells out every show he does, this brings in big cash. If the city could have got in on that action I'd be a little less concerned with the deal making it, like it currently sits right now with only one business out there paying off a 21.5 million dollar note its going to be a big chore, one that will sink us more than likely. I just hope that possibly a solution the city and Dunlow can work out is to lease the grounds to the city for a few events for a very little lease agreement and the city schedule some big names here and let that go towards paying the bill. If you schedule the big names, people will come, it does not matter if its in Hollister, Littleton, or Roanoke Rapids. Folks pay to see the name, and will travel to go see their favorite performer, but it has to be a musician with a good fan base that has "current" hit records and songs.
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Kestrel
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I hear you doomster, but they have to pay the artist a fee, and all the security and police as well. And then there is the rent for the port-a-johns and tower lights. And there is talk of building a permanent structure. You make a good points though. I never heard of Randy Parton until a few years ago, and I know him as Dolly's brother.
Though as popular as AC/DC was when it was played over the loudspeakers, they should get them to do a show here. LOL
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msnightowl
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| slash wrote: | | The theater is only a small part of the operation and the rest of the stuff that has been mentioned will have to come together to make it a success. Roanoke Rapids will have to be a destination with multiple things to do if its going to work. I'm not hung up on the RPT as much as I am about the other things that were promised that won't use taxpayer money. What is the status of those projects? |
I understand alot of those projects have pulled out and will not be coming, like the water park and the aquraiam just to name a couple, don't know how true it is.
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Da Vinci
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an opinion onlyIt has at times seemed to me that people expect "perfection" (at least their version of it) from everyone except themselves. not a personality flaw just human nature. How say you?  
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doomster
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We don't expect perfection, but we expect what we were promised...... 
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Cap'n Slappy
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Instead of complaining why don't you get out and do something about it. Is anyone going to run for city council and try to change things?
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SkygreenLeopard
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| doomster wrote: | A better idea, how about a better business plan and better follow thru on studies before spending that kinda cash. Sure, we need some kind of revenue builder here, thats a no-brainer. I think it would have went well if it had been planned out a little different, and the money been controlled a little better. $21.5 million is a ton to risk, especially since we have no other real calling card here to attract people. Some say the Lake will bring in some people.....thats normally not the case. Folks buy Lake property to get away from the world, get away and just relax, not go to RPT and then shop at some outlet. I've also heard its the 1/2 way point betwen New York and Florida, that is not a calling card, that means you either stop and get a hotel to rest, or you stop on burger blvd for a burger and move on down the road. Folks traveling on the interstate usually don't have time to stop in and watch and hour or two show, they are eager to get to their destination.
I've also been told and yelled at that it would bring in many needed jobs to this area. This is soooooo funny, how many local people do you know of that work at the RPT?? The only one that has a good salary is Randy himself, guarantee of 3/4 million and up to 1.5 million. Second thing is "who is Randy Parton?" Did you know him before, or ever heard of him before RPT and CCR came up on the agenda? Most folks had never heard of him before, and never heard any hit music he did either. Third thing is...do you think Randy is worth 1.5 million potential in a salary, he has no experience in managing one, has no hit songs, no hit records, most folks associate him as Dolly's brother, and that is no reason he should have a 1.5 million salary. Look at the ticket prices and figure in the operating expenses and see how long you gather it will take to pay back 21.5 million the city is responsible for paying if this thing flops. You take gambling trips with blow money, not tax money..........and this thing is more of a gamble than an investment, and the city is gambling with our money.
Dunlow and Ragsdale had the best idea with the CCR deal with the ampitheater, people will always go to a concert to see big bands, if you bring them, folks will pay to see them. But Randy has very little fan base that I know of compared to say Gretchen Wilson, Hank, Trace. And Dunlow does not have a big building to pay off either. |
Just a few quick comments, I don't want to really get into this argument because I've heard it every day for the past few months now and it's tiring.. If the fiercest opponents of the RPT put half as much effort into actually [i]doing[/] something instead of just whining to everyone within earshot, then maybe we'd have clear results.
Doom, I just wanted to reply to several points in your post, not the entire post itself.
1: The RPT is going to draw most of it's lifeblood from bus-tours. Trust me, there is NO shortage of people who are going to be attending the shows, the tours are even trying to get Randy to do daily matinee shows as well as his night shows(Randy is opposed to matinees, but we'll be doing one a month)
As far as having a "known" artist in the theatre, Randy is going to be constantly featuring guest artists as part of his show, so there will be many opportunities to see a well established artist perform as well.
2: You mentioned that Randy had no experience running a theatre. This is not true. Randy worked at Dollywood for years, and has brought a very professional and knowledgable staff over from Dollywood to work for him.
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doomster
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| Cap'n Slappy wrote: | | Instead of complaining why don't you get out and do something about it. Is anyone going to run for city council and try to change things? |
Running for city council is not going to change much Slappy. I feel sorry for anyone in office anytime soon. This is my reasonings right here:
The bunch in there now are what is responsible for the RPT and CCR, however CCR isn't costing the city. The RPT if it makes it, which we all do have great hopes it does, will be wonderful.......but what if it does not??
If every person on city council resigned right now, and were replaced tomorrow, they would get the blame from the city folks if it did not make it or if the tax value of their home went up the least little bit, the RPT would be the blame, as well as the city council, either new or the ones in there now. The problem we might have to face is.......what if the RPT does not make it, them we know what is going to happen, the city will eat it, then what happens? We all know the end result, but trying to explain that to 75% of the population of Roanoke Rapids is going to be hard. Who-ever is in the seat if it fails, is in for a long hard ride.......I promise.
Honestly, I don't oppose the idea of the RPT, but I oppose the way it was built, and what the city has told us, and mostly what they have not told us. I think it should have been a private f'nced deal, if Randy is as good as he claims, people would invest in it with no doubts of it making it. The city would have never had to use the TIF deal, but thats the reason he chose Ro Rap, the deal was pretty much handed to him on a silver platter. Everything from a car, a house, to a building. Grants to pay for certain stuff.
Another way to look at it is, do you gamble with your own money when you know you have bills and retirement down the road. What other functions in town are going to suffer if it does not make it?
My biggest complaint I can make out of the whole deal myself is where is all the other ventures that were promised coming in with it?? They seem to not be mentioning all that for some reason.
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