ROANOKE RAPIDS, N.C. -- The Randy Parton Theatre was renamed on Tuesday night and will now be called the Roanoke Rapids Theatre. The City Council hopes the name change will help the struggling theatre.

Although Randy Parton's name and initials are all over the theatre, all that will soon be coming down. After a very public battle between the Roanoke Rapids City Council and the theatre's namesake, Randy Parton, the City Council decided to change the name to the Roanoke Rapids Theatre.

"It's a very unfortunate situation the way things happened," explained Roanoke Rapids Mayor Drewery Beale. "That's what we're really trying to do, is to start out with a clean slate."

City leaders hope to replace all of the "Randy Parton Theatre" signs with new signs by the end of January.

The city borrowed $21.5 million to build the theatre and the surrounding entertainment complex, Carolina Crossroads. Randy Parton, the brother of country superstar Dolly Parton, was supposed to run it and perform there.

City leaders say he squandered away $2.4 million of taxpayers' money and showed up drunk for a show. They've now hired a new theatre manager and are distancing themselves from Randy Parton and his name.

Randy Parton, nor his lawyer, would comment for this story.

"I think we are on the right track," Beale said Wednesday. "We're hoping along with the growth out there and the new development coming on and more shows for people to look at, things will pick up."

A new hotel is scheduled to open next to Carolina Crossroads in February. A new upscale seafood restaurant is also planned for the area. In addition, an RV (recreational vehicle) Park just recently opened.

The city is counting on the entertainment complex to revitalize the local economy by turning Roanoke Rapids along Interstate 95 into a traveler's destination where people can see a show, stay in one of the new hotels, and of course, spend money.