Historic Bibb Theatre in Downtown Macon to gain new life as lofts. See inside
Pieces of the old Bibb Theatre’s drywall, which has sat vacant since the 1970s, crumbled at the slightest touch during a tour Feb. 5.
NewTown Macon anticipates turning the building on the 500 block of Third Street into lofts and offices, putting “this great old building back into service,” the economic development agency’s president, James Fritze, said.
It will cost about $4 million to renovate the old Bibb Theatre, and it is expected to be completed by early 2027.
The agency bought the building in 2018 in partnership with the Peyton Anderson Foundation under a “program-related investment,” according to NewTown’s website. There weren’t any plans established for the old Bibb Theatre until the economic development agency announced last year its intention to turn it into lofts.
“This strategy and partnership will begin the process of rehabbing downtown’s last abandoned and derelict theatre,” the website said.
NewTown Macon believes that, rather than developing another movie theater in Downtown Macon — since The Capitol Theatre and the Douglass Theatre are close by — renovating the building into residential lofts will provide “sustainable income,” according to Fritze.
Fritze said that the $4 million renovation and construction cost will come from philanthropy partners and a loan fund from NewTown.
Movie theaters are expensive to run, and won’t generate an income that could keep it open for years to come, he said.
Fritze plans to add a second and a third floor to Bibb Theatre. Visit Macon will run a store in the front, and The Creek 100.9 FM radio station plans to relocate into the building.
Susie Cowan, general manager, confirmed that the radio station will relocate from their studio on Cherry Street to the theater as it “will be street-level, allowing the community and visitors to see our DJs live on-air and creating a more interactive experience.”
The front facade of the Bibb Theatre will be left alone due to it being “one of the most photographed places” in Downtown Macon, Fritze said.
“We wanted to make sure we really did the best that we could,” Fritz said. “It just took a minute for us to come up with these ideas.”
The exterior of the Bibb Theatre has been in use, with occasional messages in the marquee and old movies being projected on the wall.
Employee of Bibb Theatre comments on lack of business in 1978
The building on Third Street was used as a warehouse, a grocery store and a clothing store until Fred G. Weis, who owned multiple theaters in Georgia, transformed it into the Bibb Theatre on Dec. 26, 1938. It could seat roughly 800 people.
It was then renovated in 1963, adding ornate glass, Italian marble, new carpeting, and a stairwell to create a “Hollywood and Vine atmosphere,” according to the Telegraph archives.
However, by 1978, business wasn’t the same, forcing the Bibb Theatre to close. An employee told Telegraph reporters on Jan. 1, 1978, a day before it would close, that the theater hadn’t profited and “products (haven’t) been available, especially Black products,” according to archives.
“This is a predominantly Black theater and we try to run as much Black product as possible,” the employee said. “Theaters are going to shopping centers, where there is free parking.”
