Georgia County Uses Millions of Taxpayer Dollars to Buy Legendary Hotel Just to Blow It Up: 'I Think a Lot of People Are Going to Have a Problem With It'

SHENYANG, CHINA - APRIL 13: (CHINA OUT) Smoke billows as the Shenyang Hotel building implodes on April 13, 2005 in Shenyang of Liaoning Province, China. The demolition is successful as experts and engineers have used nearly 20,000 detonators and 500 kg explosives to blow up the seven-story building. (Credit: China Photos/Getty Images)

A Georgia county spent millions of taxpayer dollars to buy a long-vacant downtown hotel only to demolish it at midnight on New Year's Eve to clear the site for future development.

The 16-story hotel Macon, Georgia, which was built in 1970 and designed by renowned architect Morris Lapidus, once accommodated high-profile guests like Elvis Presley.