Vacant no more: Battery Hotel reopens as MUN residence
Building will feature shared kitchens, food services and gym once renovations are completed
After a nearly three year vacancy, the iconic Battery Hotel in St. John's is reopening for business — this time, as a university residence.
Memorial University's two-year effort to renovate the building for graduate students is partially complete.
- Memorial University officially buys The Battery
- MUN seeking public input on aspects of Battery renovation
The university has renovated 43 rooms so far, and 45 more are expected to be completed by winter.
The first students are expected to move in on Tuesday, though only a quarter of the finished rooms have been filled.
"We're going to continue to fill the space over the month of September, and actually on into the fall," says university spokesperson Rebecca Cohoe.
Including utilities, rent will set residents back between $500 and $650 a month.
Cohoe said the downtown location and its proximity to Signal Hill are among some of its best features.
"We think graduate students, both from here, and especially our graduate students who come from Canada and around the world, I think this is an awesome way for them to get a sense of what this city is all about," Cohoe said.
Students will have access to shared kitchens for cooking, food services, a gym and other amenities in the next two years as renovations continue.
With files from Zach Goudie.