I know that y'all probably can't read all of this, because the stupid Decatur Daily makes you pay to read the news online, but it appears that Calhoun Community College and Athens State University have finally come up with plans for a 4 year arts program in downtown Decatur. Finally.
http://www.decaturdaily.com/detail/34083.html
The two schools will present their plans to Bradley Byrne soon, and he'll present the plan to the state BOE for approval. Entities involved are Athens State University, Calhoun Community College, City of Decatur, and Morgan County. All of these have pledged their support. Decatur's credit rating was recently raised from AA- to AA, which is the second highest rating given by Standard and Poor, so, borrowing money shouldn't be a problem. Of course, making the payments my be difficult considering the economic climate.
Either way, this seems like it's finally building momentum. Of course, there's still a long way to go.