Macon Magazine

" THE BIBB WAS PART OF THE SCENERY, PART OF A THRIV- ING DOWNTOWN. WE HOPE IT CAN BE THAT AGAIN." - KAREN LAMBERT theater. Together, they form much of what is documented on the Roxy and Greenwood Bottoms. Stroud said what happens at the Roxy in days ahead is "important to people, to our community" and can be "an excellent way to show what history and good community planning can mean for the future when combined with sustainable, for-profit revitalization to rebuild blighted areas." THE BIBB THEATRE Not a half mile away from the Roxy sits the Bibb eatre. While the Roxy inspires big memories and a sense of place, the Bibb seems a landmark devoid of such deep emotions. For most, it simply garnered the decades-long reputation as a place to see a good movie, despite the exploitation films shown in its latter days when audiences started heading to suburban cineplexes. But that's not to belittle it. e Bibb was where multitudes enjoyed movies from the day it opened on Dec. 26, 1938. Like the Roxy, the Bibb has its promoters working toward its future. Since 2018, it has been jointly owned by NewTown Macon and the Peyton Anderson Foundation, who made rudimentary repairs to stabilize it, make it safe and forestall worse dilapidation. Some remodeling goes on while NewTown and the Peyton Anderson Foundation court buyers as part of their commitment to downtown growth. Officials said they're hopeful new owners will He said as a black businessman in Greenwood Bottoms, he didn't always feel he was being heard. Weston Stroud has taken a special interest in the Roxy and its surrounding area, and speaks up for it. He believes Greenwood Bottoms can and should be revitalized and its history celebrated. Stroud is a young urban community planner who works as a transit planner for the Macon Transit Authority. He also has a sense for business development and said he would like to see Greenwood Bottoms become a growing neighborhood and sustainable business community built on for-profit business ventures with the Roxy again playing a central part. A $5,000 grant from the Knight Foundation helped Stroud bring food trucks – and attention –to the Roxy's empty parking lot, which is also the lot of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, former occupants and owners of the Roxy after its heyday. "We need to acknowledge and respect the area and make it a smart, connected community that's attractive to investors, young people and in ways become similar to what Little Five Points is in Atlanta," he said. "ere are challenges, but we can overcome them and discover how to bring investors, businesses and draw new people, but at the same time not drive out those there now or make it too costly to stay." Given options – and the unlikelihood the Roxy ever will be an entertainment venue again – Stroud said he'd like to see the building become a center fostering small businesses, start-ups, the arts or a variety of other profitable community activities. "I'd like it to draw attention and put the neighborhood on the map – or back on the map," he said. "Housing a non-profit there probably won't do it, but other ventures could. Historically and culturally, this is such an important spot to Macon." e Historic Macon Foundation also is interested in seeing the site saved, and included it in the 2020 Fading Five list of endangered properties. e foundation also advocates for it to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Historic Macon's communications director, Oby Brown, is a Macon native and long-time Macon observer and newsman. Brown wrote an extensive blog about the Roxy for Historic Macon titled "Something We Could Call Our Own." In 2015, a project undertaken by Debbie R. Blankenship and students at Mercer University's Center for Collaborative Journalism researched what could be found about the ABOVE: THE BIBB THEATRE IS PICTURED IN THIS SREET SCENE CIRCA 1970. RIGHT: THE BIBB THEATRE AS IT LOOKS TODAY. 80 maconmagazine.com | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

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