Liscombe Lodge sale imminent, Maclellan says

The province is almost out of the lodging business, with a deal imminent for the sale of the Liscombe Lodge Resort and Conference Centre on the Eastern Shore.

Nova Scotia Business Minister Geoff Maclellan told reporters Thursday after a Cabinet meeting that letters have gone out to employees to announce the potential transition to ownership by Hearthstone Hospitality, a Nova Scotia operation with hotels in Sydney, Dartmouth and Port Hawkesbury.

“We actually have a preferred proponent in place for Liscombe Lodge,” Maclellan said during a conference call.

Due diligence for the deal should be completed by about mid-july, he said. The transaction price was not disclosed.

“Certainly, with this preferred proponent in place, it looks like we're getting out of the resort business, which, obviously, wasn't very successful for any provincial government, to be in a private-sector operation,” said Maclellan.

“That's good news. We'll

“I think it'll follow a similar trajectory as Digby Pines, out of the hands of government and into the private sector, where it truly belongs.”

The province had operated the Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa until its sale in December to Halifax developer Basim Halef, owner of Banc Properties.

Maclellan said Develop Nova Scotia has had the lodge property on the market for the better part of a year, and the current deal has been in the works for about a month.

“There was some interest, in and out, with respect to different proponents that came to the table, but this one, literally through the COVID crisis, the conversations heated up and worked toward a finality,” he said.

“Hopefully, it'll change hands this summer.”

Maclellan said it feels like the sale process is in a good place.

“It looks like it's all systems go.”

The minister said current employees will all have the opportunity to remain working at the lodge, at the same wage level.

Geoff Maclellan wait for the due diligence but, certainly, it's a positive sign for Liscombe.