Saint John is exploring development opportunities for the former west side tourist bureau.

Council voted Monday to declare the property off of the Saint John Throughway as surplus.

“City staff were approached in the recent and more distant past by interested parties to consider the sale of the property,” said a staff report to council.

“Due to this recent and past interest, staff are recommending that the lands be declared surplus and staff explore development opportunities for this site.”

The building operated as a visitor information centre for a number of years but has sat vacant since 2022.

It was a convenient place to stop for visitors coming into Saint John from the west side, including those arriving from the United States.

While the visitor information centre is no longer open, Envision Saint John is operating three welcome centres in the city.

They are located at the Saint John City Market, the Area 506 Waterfront Container Village, and the Inside Out Nature Centre in Rockwood Park.