Athens theatre owner: 'It's been twice as bad today'

But it will likely be much longer before Greene determines how to rebuild the historic venue that staged numerous musicians over the decades.

"I never realized how popular we were until yesterday," Green said.

Greene had owned the 5,000-square foot building for five years, and had recently finished extensive renovations.

"It was looking good. Smelling good. Feeling good. Working good," Greene said.

But that all changed when 50 firefighters responded to the 6:50 a.m. fire call Friday. By 8 a.m., the fire was under control as smoke continued to fill the Athens sky at the corner of Lumpkin and Clayton streets.

A steady stream of people walked through downtown Athens to the cordoned off-theater on Saturday, reliving and sharing memories.

"It's absolutely heart-breaking," said Mikey Mondavi, 33, who drove from Lithia Springs with his girlfriend to survey the damage.

Mondavi, who previously lived twice in Athens, said he has memories of attending '80s disco nights at the Georgia Theatre during the 1990s.

"It has to be rebuilt," Mondavi said of the theater. "It is a huge part of Athens history."

Although he hopes to rebuild, Greene said he won't be able to do it alone. He's gotten calls from all over the world from those who want to help, and he hopes soon to be able to accept donations online.

By Saturday afternoon, thousands of online supporters joined various Facebook groups, vowing to help rebuild the venue. A benefit concert at The Classic Center was planned Saturday night to help the rebuilding efforts, and Greene said he planned to go.

After all, it might ease some of the pain.

Doors to the venue were open Saturday, providing a small glimpse of the massive damage.

Still, Greene is optimistic that when he's allowed to return to building, something will be left in what used to be his office on the mezzanine level.

"I worried about computer failure," Greene said. "But I never worried about a fire.

Phil Gast contributed to this report.