By HANNAH DUNN-GRANDPRE – Variety Editor
The Georgia Theater made a strong recovery after burning to the ground over two years ago.
At 3 a.m. on June 19, 2009, the Georgia Theatre caught on fire due to an electrical short. Smoke and flames billowed out from 215 N Lumpkin St. as the owner since 2004, Wilmont Greene slept inside.
“It was the worst day of my life. It’s a lot like losing a family member in that it’s hard to express the emotions that happened that day. I was unable to panic or freak out because there was too much to do: talking to press, fire marshals, insurance people, etc.,” Greene said. “The full impact of that day didn’t hit me until several days later.”
The Georgia Theater reopened more than two years later on Aug. 1.
“I would say that Downtown was very different without the Theatre. I like to think of the Theatre as the heartbeat of Downtown. So in that respect, Downtown was on a life support system for two years,” Greene said. “The local community and music community worldwide (were) both sympathetic and supportive. It would have been very difficult to move forward without that support.”
To help the Theatre, supporters were able to donate money. Sponsorship levels generally ranged from $50 to $5,000. The incentives for these contributions included having your name on a wall of the rebuilt theatre, according to their website.
In addition to private donations, the Georgia Theatre funded their renovations through a partnership with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. However, the majority of the money came from a bank loan.
The fire destroyed nearly everything in the Georgia Theatre. The one thing that remained intact was the walls, which were severely damaged, but salvageable.
“It’s a whole new ball game in a lot of ways, and then again it’s exactly the same. It’s difficult to explain,” Greene said. “The room still feels the same, it just is newer and more modern. I have a lot of the same people working here and a lot of the same bands. It just smells a little better now.”
Since its reopening, the Georgia Theatre has made more changes than just cosmetic changes. They showcase a much more diverse range of genres. Bands familiar to the Georgia Theatre, such as Widespread Panic, still perform.
In the past months Of Montreal, an indie pop band, Corey Smith, a country singer, Gaelic Storm, a traditional Irish band and Childish Gambino, a hip-hop artist, have performed at the Georgia Theatre along with many more. Also, University of Georgia football games will again be broadcast for those 21 and older.
Even though the reopening of the Georgia Theatre has been mostly positive, Greene still has reservations for what is coming next. With the majority of the Theatre being destroyed and having to be completely renovated, it was an expensive process.
“I feel a great sense of accomplishment. However, I also feel weary and slightly scared for the future. We have a tremendous debt load and it will be a struggle for us to pay back that debt,” Greene said. “Emotionally the whole process was devastating, but on the opposite side of the coin, the re-opening was rejuvenating.”
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