St. John's hotel listed for $15M

A hotel on a prime piece of St. John's real estate is on the market for $15 million.

Battery Hotel and Suites is being listed by real estate agency Colliers International.

The company is floating the idea of putting a casino on the 4.52 acre site on Signal Hill, which overlooks the capital city's historic harbour.

It's not known yet how that idea might go over with provincial officials since they've said in the past they would not allow casinos to be built in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In fact, government has been reducing the number of video lottery terminals operating in the province.

St. John's Deputy Mayor Shannie Duff said Monday that neither the company nor its current owners have contacted the city recently with a proposal to develop the site.

Plans to redevelop the hotel were proposed after it was bought by U.S.-based developer Rick Butler in 2005.

Butler wanted to demolish the current hotel and construct a 10 storey hotel-condominium complex with 123 rooms.

Those plans were abandoned after a campaign to stop the proposal was launched by local residents.