Last night, the Athens Banner-Herald posted a strangely written article alleging that Georgia Theatre owner Wilmot Green is currently in talks with a mysterious group of Atlanta investors with the (rather cartoonish) name Bravo Ventures to sell the beloved and historic venue.
From the article, which opens with, “The Georgia Theatre is for sale. Sort of.”:
The owner of the historic downtown entertainment venue confirmed Thursday he’s in talks to sell the Georgia Theatre to a group of Atlanta investors, but it’s too early to say whether a deal will happen.
“I have 65 people who rely on me for their livelihood, and I see no point in making them nervous without good reason,” owner Wilmot Greene said.
Reached for comment today, Greene, who oversaw the complete renovation of the Theatre after it was ravaged by fire in 2009, says that statement was offered not as an on-the-record quote but rather in the context of asking the Banner-Herald not to publish the story, feeling it would be misleading.
While Greene doesn’t deny that a potential sale of the property is on the table down the line, he says that at the present time, “There is nothing to say… really.”
Adds Greene, “All I can tell you for now is that if a deal happens the guys I’m talking to are good guys and they wouldn’t fuck anything up. I’ve been doing this for 10 years now. I certainly couldn’t do another 10, so I’ve got to move on at some point and these guys might be the right guys.”
This story comes on the heels of news of a potential shake-up at another local venue. Late last month, we reported that New Earth Athens and its landlord, Mark Bell, were at a stalemate over the lease renewal for that property, and that Bell was advertising the property to prospective buyers.
Stay tuned to Homedrone for further news.
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