Date, time set for implosion of abandoned hotel Downtown

"We're starting the New Year with a bang," says Mayor Lester Miller of the pending implosion of the abandoned hotel Downtown (108 First Street) on January 1, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. "The way you start your new year is how you spend your entire year, so we're going big and taking down a blighted building, making way for economic and community development, and bringing people together to remember our past and celebrate our future, all at the same time."

A New Year's Day implosion provides the best time for this project to happen for all parties involved, as well as creates the safest environment for crews and the public. There will be less vehicular traffic, businesses will be closed, trains will not be running, and people will still mostly be at home.

For more than a decade, the 16-story Macon hotel in the block bordered by Riverside Drive, First Street, and Walnut Street has been 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.

"It was time to recognize that we needed to take a more direct role in that area's future if it is to grow like other areas," says Mayor Miller. "That area has such great potential as a Downtown gateway…that we knew the opportunity was there to have a huge impact on the future of our city."

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The current building has undergone multiple rounds of attempts to renovate it, but there are too many challenges in the outdated design and lack of meeting current fire and safety codes to make renovations viable.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

"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."

Target Contractors have already begun meeting with government and utility officials to begin planning for everything that needs to happen to implode the hotel. That includes plans for health and safety, site control, and access, fire safety, dust control, environmental protection, traffic control, site cleanup, debris removal, and noise, shockwave, and vibration control…and more…all to make it as safe as possible.

Target is also reaching out to the businesses closest to the hotel to introduce themselves, provide early information about the process, and see what questions they may have. A public forum is currently being planned for people to attend and learn about the implosion and ask questions.

"We want to get as much information to the public as possible to make sure people and property are safe, and to provide people a way to watch this historic moment," says Chief Communications Officer Chris Floore. "This is going to be quite the sight, and with so many people having a connection to or memories of this building, we want to give them a chance to say goodbye…and then hello to what's coming next."

This demolition and future development are in addition to the future development of the property across Riverside Drive, as well as the Urban Development Authority acquiring the former Macon Health Club and other buildings down First Street. The latter was done for a similar reason as the acquisition of the old hotel: to take a more coordinated approach to rejuvenating several blocks of Downtown, bringing them all back to life. To read more about the future of the other buildings on First Street, including the former Macon Health Club, click here.