The multi-million dollar home to Leamington Caves and the old Plantation restaurant is finally up for sale, almost a year after it shut down.

Valuers will today estimate the sale price for the three-acre strip of land in Bailey's Bay.

It means new operators can finally be courted for Bermuda's second cave system, behind nearby Crystal Caves.

And property owner Carol West last night told The Royal Gazette the buyers would also be free to renovate the Plantation.

Planning officials turned down a bid to turn the site into a housing and business complex in June.

The Development Applications Board rejected the ambitious project despite an approval recommendation from the Planning Department.

Now Mrs. West has been left with no other option but to put up the for sale signs -- ten months after the restaurant was boarded up.

The 70-seat Plantation left 24 people redundant when it closed five days before Christmas.

Mrs. West opted to shut the business because it was operating at a loss.

She said last night: "At last, we are now having the property valued and an estimate should be prepared tomorrow.

"We haven't been able to get it on the market yet and we are actually still waiting for some information from Planning.

"If nothing could be done with the property it would be worthless but as it is, we feel there are a lot of possibilities making it very valuable.

"The idea is simply to maximise the value of the property.'' The plan for four top-floor apartments and ground-floor offices at the Plantation has so far been dismissed.

But Mrs. West, who bought the property from Jack and Peggy Mayne along with her husband Christopher in 1980, said valuers from Bermuda Homes and Leonard Gibbons would now fix the price tag.

And she added that talks were still on-going with the Aquarium to discuss the future operation of Leamington Caves.

"Nothing has really come of that so far,'' said Mrs. West. "But the Aquarium is still looking at it.

"It's not a dead issue. But as the owners, we are looking to sell the property so the new owners can do whatever they want with it. It's not our concern.'' BUSINESS BUC