the theater has been vacant for more than four decades and hosted musical legends like bessie smith.g will finally be done with the theater. >> i'm hearing that there's going to be apartments and some commercial on the bottom floor which is great for the area. >> we like the idea that the building is going to be redeveloped. we're not opposed to that. we're not opposed to that. we are concerned about the height of the building. >> it's not yet known when the work will begin at the theater. >>> the holidays will not hit a road block in one local town. >> one community is going forward with its plans despite concerns from the state. >> but it's a good thing. it's a good cause. it's a good thing. so i think people should just be patient, take their time and come through town and realize, hey, it's the holidays. >> but some say it could cause main street mayhem. nbc 10 takes you to the center of the dispute and if the gridlock is happening as come are fearing. >>> as you can see there, snow has been falling across much of the area today. all part of that nor'easter that's been bugging us

not only did it host great blues performance like ida cox and bessie smith, ma rainy, but it would becomeimportant movie theater venue for african-american filmmakers. so it became a premiere spot in the entertainment industry, and it made macon an important stop along the way. in fact, the street the douglass theater is on became known as the black broadway of the south, and so the douglass theater and charles douglass himself were just really important in building that network of entertainment and touring possibilities and what's interesting when you get into the later years, into the 1950s, that jazz led to eventually the formation of rhythm and blues, and it was here that some of the premiere soul artists such as james brown and otis redding actually graced this stage. ♪ >> rhythm and blues began getting its start not long after the break of little richard. we call little richard the architect of rock and roll but he really became the inspiration for african-american artists in macon that if he can make it, maybe they could, too. and it started out as race records as they would call i