MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- A downtown Martinsburg landmark is being put on the auction block.

Gateway Holdings LLC plans to sell the Shenandoah Hotel at auction on Dec. 12. The minimum bid is $550,000.

Gateway owner Ben Fogle tells The Journal that he wants to plan his estate for his heirs. The 77-year-old Fogle says he doesn't want to leave them with properties that are hard to manage.

The five-story building recently housed several businesses on the first floor. Its upper four floors have been closed for several years.

The lobby, dining room and ballroom have hosted several recent community functions.

The hotel opened in 1926 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.