Burned Georgia Theatre Seeks Donations to Supplement Insurance

A nonprofit group has begun accepting donations to rebuild the Georgia Theatre, which was gutted by a fire in June.

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation says the money will be used to pay contractors for construction, architectural and engineering costs for the historic building, which is one of the best-known concert venues in Athens.

Georgia Theatre owner Wilmot Greene has said his insurance policy will cover the loans he took out to buy and renovate the building, but will not cover rebuilding costs.

He asked theater fans to stop raising funds until he reached an agreement with a nonprofit to handle donations.

The building dates back to the 1880s and has served as a YMCA, hotel and movie theater. It became a music venue in the 1970s.