Site of former New Perry Hotel sells for $2.2M. Here’s what new owners plan

The former site of the New Perry Hotel is now under the ownership of a Georgia bank, with the new owners planning to construct a new downtown branch office on the 1.57 acres of prime property in downtown Perry.

A mixed commercial development of retail space, office suites and penthouse apartments had been proposed for the vacant property before its sale.

The fenced-in property of dirt and grass has remained untouched since demolition of the New Perry Hotel and its surrounding structures in the summer of 2024.

Plans for the site

Headquartered in Dublin, Morris Bank purchased the site at 800 Main St. for $2.2 million from Triple P. Holdings on Jan. 25, according to Houston County records.

That’s more than 3.5 times the $620,000 HALO Group of Middle Georgia sold the then-standing New Perry Hotel and its property to Triple P. Holdings on July 14, 2023.

As of now, the branch office itself will be the only construction on site, according to Morris Bank. Morris Bank’s headquarters will remain in Dublin.

“This new facility represents our continued growth and investment in the Perry market,” reads in part a statement from Morris Bank. “As we have outgrown our current downtown location, the new building will allow us to better serve our customers with a larger, more efficient space.”

Now in the design and planning stages, Morris Bank is eager to begin construction as soon as possible, according to the statement.

“While the site will shift its focus from a hotel to a bank, its roots of serving Perry and Houston County will still stay strong, and Morris Bank is honored to be part of this next chapter and looks forward to contributing to the property’s rich history,” the company said.

Founded in 1954 in Dublin, Morris Bank has nine locations in South and Middle Georgia, including one in Gray, two in Warner Robins and its current branch office at 809 Carroll St. in downtown Perry.

When Morris Bank moved into the 1905 building that houses its Perry branch in 2020, the bank worked to preserve some of the building’s heritage — including the tile entrance from the first occupants that spells out “Houston Banking Company.”

“We’re excited to create a space that all stakeholders — our customers, employees, shareholders, the local community, and especially the city of Perry — can take pride in,” the bank said in a statement. “The positive feedback and enthusiasm we’ve received from the community about this expansion have been incredibly encouraging. “

What led to New Perry Hotel’s demolition?

Built in 1925 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, the New Perry Hotel was part of the fabric of downtown Perry for 99 years until its controversial demolition.

Its historic significance, an online petition signed by more than 1,180 people to save it, and a letter from Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation condemning its destruction were not enough to stop it from coming down.

Demolition was sought after looking at strategies to remodel, which Triple P. Holdings found proved to be financially unfeasible because the hotel was in “severe deterioration.”

The hotel was then deemed beyond saving by Triple P. Holdings and the city agreed. Engineering assessments revealed critical issues, including foundation cracks, water damage and compromised load bearing elements that posed safety risks to occupants and passersby.

The demolition came as Perry celebrated its 200th birthday.

In the hotel’s place, Triple P. Holdings had proposed a three-floor development to include ground-floor retail space, second-floor office suites and third-floor penthouse apartments. New retail buildings on the site also were proposed.

Denyel “Danny” Rosales, managing member for Triple P. Holdings, declined comment about why the property was not developed but sold instead.

What to know about the site’s zoning

The site of the former New Perry Hotel is zoned C-3 for the Central Business District, which includes a variety of uses, including a bank. Here’s an excerpt from the city’s zoning ordinance:

“The C-3 district is intended to preserve downtown Perry as the city’s center accommodating a unique mix of retail, entertainment, office, service, cultural, government, civic, and residential uses. The intent of the district is to preserve and encourage pedestrian-oriented development, including specialty and neighborhood-oriented and higher density residential options. District uses and standards are also intended to encourage future development in a manner compatible with the traditional character of the downtown and with nearby residential areas.”

Morris Bank has not submitted anything related to the site to the city as of Tuesday, according to Bryan Wood, the city’s community development director.

To develop the site, Morris Bank will next need to submit a certificate of appropriateness application, according to Wood. A pre-application meeting would also be among the next steps for the bank to develop the property.

“The city would prefer a mixed-use development, but has no control over that,” Wood said in an email.