For more than a decade, a Macon hotel has sat vacant…attracting theft and vandalism, filling with water in lower areas at times, growing mold, and causing other issues that are not part of a rejuvenating, strengthening, and thriving Downtown. Several groups have tried over the years to bring the property back to life and capitalize on the ongoing and increasing success of Downtown, but none of those plans have come to fruition.

Now, Macon-Bibb County, partner agencies, and Target Contractors are preparing to implode the 16-story hotel that sits in the block bordered by Riverside Drive, First Street, and Walnut Street. That implosion will happen on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Still to be scheduled are a public forum for people to hear the details of the plan and the finalization of an Exclusion Map to help people keep a safe distance that morning. Crews have already begun meeting with nearby businesses about the process.

If you’re looking for a safe and fun place to watch implosion of the abandoned hotel Downtown, we got you! Join Macon-Bibb County, NewTown Macon, and other community partners at Coleman Hill for a viewing party beginning at 8:00 a.m. Bring your own chairs and blankets to watch the implosion at 9:00 a.m.

“We’ll have plenty of opportunities for you to see the building coming down online, but if you want to see it in person, the best place would be on Coleman Hill with us,” said Mayor Lester Miller. “We want you to stay safe and stay out of the exclusion area.”

The current building has undergone multiple rounds of attempts to renovate it, but there are too many challenges in the outdated design and lack of meeting current fire and safety codes to make renovation viable. There’s also too much damage to the building itself from not being used for so long.

“It was time to recognize that, if that part of Downtown was to benefit as other areas have, we needed to rethink the area and take a more direct role in its future,” says Mayor Lester Miller. “That area of First Street and Riverside Drive have such great potential as a gateway to our Downtown, the amount of available space, and the interest in developments across the street…that we knew the opportunity was there to have a huge impact on the future of our city.”

“The ceilings are too low for central heating and air to be installed, the parking deck underneath floods whenever it rains too much, there are large holes in sections of the roof, and so much more,” says Alex Morrison, Executive Director of the Urban Development Authority. “The best path forward is to clear the site and find a developer to build something that will truly move our Downtown forward.”

On Thursday, December 19, Mayor Lester Miller signed an Executive Order, establishing the Exclusion Zone to begin at 6:00 a.m. and end at 11:00 a.m. on January 1. The Exclusion Zone is the area around the implosion that should not have anyone in it while it’s active.

You can view the Exclusion Zone map below and read the Executive Order here.(View the Executive Order (PDF))

On Thursday, Target Contractors also held a public forum for people to come out and ask questions. You can view the forum here. Representatives from Target Contractors began talking with the businesses closest to the hotel several weeks ago to introduce themselves, provide early information about the process, and see what questions they may have.