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'I had no other choice': Owner of former Macon Ramada Hotel puts building up for sale

The building in downtown Macon has been vacant for nearly a decade

MACON, Ga. — The owner of one of downtown Macon's largest skyscrapers says he's putting the place up for sale. 

The old Ramada hotel has sat vacant for nearly a decade.  

Over the years, the old hotel was also a Hilton, a Radisson, the Crowne Plaza, and the Macon Downtown Hotel.

The 16-story and 298-room hotel was once Macon's pride in terms of tourism.

This used to be the place to go in town for weddings, conferences, proms and even the King of Rock n' Roll, Elvis Presley, who made a visit back in the day.

But since 2012, its rooms have been empty, and its future uncertain. 

"I look at it all day long," said Mark Perry, who works down the street from the vacant building. "It's just looking sad."

In June 2018, Wyndham told 13 WMAZ they planned to open the hotel in early 2019. But, as we know, that never happened.

Ruby Sangha, a Canadian businessman, has owned the building since 2014.

He bought it for a little over $3 million and says he's poured another $12.5 million into renovations.

"Every inch of this property has been touched," Sangha said. 

Sangha says they've made renovations from electrical and plumbing to crown molding and paint. 

"It's totally changed -- all new flooring, all the crown molding instead of wallpaper, paint," Sangha said. 

"To me, it's [like] a child. I love it. I'd like to hold onto it as long as I'm alive," Sangha said. 

But Sangha says he'll need financing for that wish to come true.

Overall, Sangha says this hotel is a $23 million project, and he needs another $7 million to $8 million to finish it. 

"I went all over US trying to get financing. They don't understand Macon market. I had no other choice but to put it up for sale," Sangha said. 

His asking price is $17.5 million. Even though the property now is valued at a little over $3.6 million, according to the tax assessor's website. 

"Do you think you'll get [$17.5 million] out of this property?" 13 WMAZ asked. 

"I'll get what I can get. I'll take it and run," Sangha said. 

Sangha says renovations have been on hold because of the pandemic. 

Now, he says they're gradually starting to do some more renovations like installing new doors, but Sangha says he's running out of money for the project and will have to have help to actually finish the project. 

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