The old Southern Trust Building was one of the most modern buildings in the southeast when it was built in 1941. It sits on Cherry Street in downtown Macon near the city auditorium.
It featured central air conditioning and fast mechanical elevators at a time such luxuries were rare. The distinctive exterior features locally sourced Cherokee Brick as well as granite.
It's now getting new life as a boutique hotel called Hotel 45.
Our Drone 13 crew caught plenty of work going on at the building in preparation for an early 2022 opening.
The name is a nod to Macon's musical past and the old 45 RPM records that carried recording artists to stations across the country.
The building originally opened as the Banker's Insurance Building. It most recently served as a Macon city government annex building.
