MACON, Ga. — In 2019, the Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Board approved the plan for a boutique hotel.
Tom Haines, VP of Operations of Mainsail Lodging and Developing, says since approval, all out-of-state parties involved worked to learn all they could about Macon.
"The story of the Hotel Forty Five began really with a listening tour and a sightseeing tour and really getting an immersion into Macon and everything that is special," he says.
Haines says they want guests to see a clear theme when they visit for example, the hotel's restaurant.
"It's called 'Loom,' really paying homage to the textile industry that really helped develop Macon in the first place. We have our coffee bar 'Reckon' -- 'Reckon it's a good time to get a hot cup of coffee.' It will be a fun southern place with a good vibe and then in the evening it will transition into a wine bar."
But what about the name of the hotel itself?
Gary Wheat, President and CEO of Visit Macon says there's two different influences.
One -- Macon's music history.
"The 45 record, that's one of the nods that they presented when they came in with the name Hotel Forty Five," he says.
He says the other is the make-up.
"The intersection between the hotel, Cotton Avenue, First Street, Cherry, and the auditorium here creates a perfect 45 if you look at it from up top."
Wheat says besides the cultural relevance, this project will also help bring more tourism and money to the county.
"We're excited about what it's gonna mean from the standpoint of visitation, serving that need of the visitors, but also, from a tax base. Just looking at what it brings to our community, over $600,000 a year in local sales tax and lodging tax," he says.
Both Haines and Wheat say they're confident the project will be done by January 2022.