Work on Macon’s longtime downtown high-rise hotel begins again

Work on the interior of the former Ramada Plaza on First Street in downtown Macon, which has been vacant the past five years, is underway again.

Macon-based Kunj Construction received a building permit in May valued at $700,000 for work at the 297-room hotel at 108 First St. Kunj owner Ashok Patel declined to comment about what work he was contracted to do on the hotel. Kunj also has an office in Canada.

Toronto businessman Rupinder “Ruby” Sangha, bought the nearly 200,000-square-foot hotel in 2014 and work began that fall on the exterior. The hotel was painted and some work began on the interior, said Sangha’s attorney, Blake Lisenby, in 2014. The owner expected to reopen by the end of that year, Lisenby said. The owner could not be reached for comment.

Lisenby also said two years ago that the interior design plans “look wonderful. It’s going to be really sleek and modern and really good looking. ... Also, it will have a modern full-service restaurant and bar.” It is unclear if those plans have changed since then.

It was announced in 2014 that the hotel would become a Park Inn by Radisson. While the Ramada Plaza sign was removed some time ago, no new sign has been installed on the building.

Built in 1969, when it was named Ramada Plaza in November 2006 it was the fifth name for the hotel. Prior to becoming a Ramada Plaza, the hotel had the name Crowne Plaza for 10 years. Originally, it was a Hilton from 1970 until 1991, and it was the Macon Downtown Hotel until 1993. From 1993 until 1996, it was a Radisson.

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 7:39 PM with the headline "Work on Macon’s longtime downtown high-rise hotel begins again."