Structural integrity will help determine use for old theater
The historic Lyric Theater in downtown Waycross is a shell of its former self — literally.
The building at 516 Elizabeth Street that was home to the venue since 1923, has been gutted, and awaits the next stage of its life. The structure is essentially only its four walls after work by Level Demolition, which is based in Jacksonville, Fla., but has offices in Brunswick and Savannah.
What’s left of the building is owned by the Downtown Waycross Development Authority. Samantha Breisinger, Property Manager for DWDA, said other than a few small issues to handle in the coming days, the property is ready for its next phase.
“The demolition is technically complete,” Breisinger said. “A fence will be going up around it soon for the safety concerns.”
Breisinger said the DWDA’s plans for the location are as blank as its current appearance to passersby, but it most likely won’t be an enclosed venue like before.
“There aren’t any specific plans right now,” Breseinger said.
She said the organization will next consult with building contractors and architectural engineers to see what the building can handle structurally. Once that’s determined Breisingersaid the DWDA will explore concepts for a finished product before a decision is made.
Regardless of the location’s final form, Breisinger said a goal is to supplement the current activities in downtown like Swampfest, Pumpkinfest, and those surrounding others at Christmas or July 4, as well as possibly create new ones.
“Likely an open air something,” she said. “An amphitheater (setting) with a stage, seating area, restrooms — something that would support what we have and maybe bring others.”
The DWDA acquired the property earlier this summer from previous owner William Gross, whose W.H. Gross Construction Company rehabilitated both the Ware Hotel and the Bunn Building in downtown Waycross. The Bunn Building, which now contain loft apartments, is located across Elizabeth Street from the Lyric site.
Gross said in a February, 2025 story in the Journal-Herald on his plans for the venue, he discovered during the Bunn renovation the theater’s original home was in that structure’s lower area.
Gross, who owned the Lyric property for about five years, did some preliminary work on the structure early in 2025 involving its HVAC system, but nothing else, the story said. At that time, he said he had no plans for demolition.
After its genesis with the construction of the original Bunn Building in 1912, historical records at cinematreasures.org said the Lyric moved to its current address in 1923. It was designed by Valdosta architect Lloyd Greer, and featured building details classic to the period. Greer also designed the Moultrie (Ga.) Theater and the Ilex Theater in Quitman.
A Streamline Moderne style marquee was added to the Lyric in the 1940s, according to the site. The theater opened as a film venue and hosted several world premieres for movies filmed in the nearby Okefenokee Swamp.
By 1934, the Lyric was operated by motion picture distributor United Theater Enterprises, Inc. In 1953, it was moved to Paramount Pictures, Inc., the site said.
The location was part of the Downtown Waycross Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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