A vacant 16-story building in downtown Macon, Georgia, will be the center of New Year's Eve festivities in 2025.
When the clock strikes midnight, the original hotel is blown up.
“We acquired this land to blow up,” Macon Mayor Lester Miller said in a press release.
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The hotel was purchased by Macon-Bibb County for $4.5 million in federal bankruptcy proceedings, and the county is willing to spend up to $2.6 million to hire a demolition contractor to blow up the building, the Associated Press reported.
A vacant 16-story hotel in Macon, Georgia, has been purchased by city officials and is scheduled to be blown up on New Year's Eve 2025. (Grant Blankenship/Georgia Public Broadcasting, via AP)
“How we start the new year affects how we spend the entire year, so we are working hard to demolish blighted buildings, pave the way for economic and community development, and remember the past and celebrate the future. We bring people together for the purpose of, all at the same time,” Miller added in the release.
According to the Associated Press, the hotel, which opened in 1970 and famously hosted Elvis Presley, was seized by the New York Department of Banking in 1991, alleging the property was involved in a fraud case.
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The last store to operate in this building was Ramada Plaza in 2017.
“We acquired this land to blow it up,” the mayor said of the vacant hotel. (St. Petersburg)
A Macon-Bibb County government press release states, “Over the years, several groups have attempted to revive this facility and capitalize on downtown's continued and increasing success, but none of their plans have come to fruition. “I haven't.”
The release goes on to say, “Although numerous attempts have been made to retrofit the current building, there are too many challenges to make retrofits a reality as the design is outdated and does not meet current fire and safety codes. ” he said.
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Neighboring churches expressed concern about the damage the explosion could cause to the historic sanctuary.
This building was last occupied in 2017. (Grant Blankenship/Georgia Public Broadcasting, via AP)
Russ Henry, a member of the priesthood that oversees Christ Episcopal Church, told The Associated Press that the church wants officials to be more cautious about their plans.
“It's an eyesore to the whole community. We want to have something else there…We just want to make sure our church doesn't get blown up on the bicentennial,” he said. said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Macon-Bibb County government for comment.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
