Latest news with #HamiltonHall
Scottish Sun
21-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
House prices boom into the millions next to iconic Scottish golf course – and could soar with ‘Rory McIlroy effect'
Locals claim prices could be pushed up even further following Rory McIlroy's Master's victory CLUB HOUSES House prices boom into the millions next to iconic Scottish golf course – and could soar with 'Rory McIlroy effect' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOUSE prices have boomed into the millions next to the world's oldest golf course - and could rise further with the 'Rory McIlroy effect'. Figures show homes near the The Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland regularly fetch seven figures - with flats selling for up to £7million each. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 House prices have boomed into the millions next to the world's oldest golf course Credit: Katielee Arrowsmith 6 Figures show homes near the The Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland regularly fetch seven figures Credit: Katielee Arrowsmith 6 On The Scores there have been 15 properties that have sold for seven-figure sums in recent years Credit: Katielee Arrowsmith Known as the Old Lady or the Grand Old Lady it is considered the oldest golf course in the world - regularly hosting The Open. The cluster of streets surrounding the famous links course offers a chance to be part of a history that stretches back more than six centuries. On The Scores, a famous street that runs from the edge of the Old Course up to the ruins of St Andrews Castle, there have been 15 properties that have changed hands for seven-figure sums in recent years. Six further seven-figure house sales have gone through at the nearby Gibson Place and The Links, with £5 million-plus deals also recorded in other desirable streets such as Pilmour Links, Golf Place and Gillespie Terrace. On Golf Place, one two-bedroom apartment even sold in June of 2023 for a whopping £2,010,000. But the epicentre of the property boom is Hamilton Hall, an imposing 19th-century building with panoramic views over the Old Course's 18th green. Designed by the Glasgow architect, James Milne Monro, it once served as The Grand Hotel, welcoming guests such as Edward VIII, Rudyard Kipling and Bing Crosby. US property developers, bought it and looked to breathe new life into the structure by turning it into luxury apartments. At one point the Wassermans signed a letter of intent proposing a confidential venture agreement with Donald Trump, who later tried to buy Hamilton Hall outright, envisioning it as the ideal location for the Trump Organisation's first international hotel venture. The Bank of Scotland put paid to those plans, having turned down Mr Trump's request for a mortgage and loan totalling £38m, a deal they deemed "too risky". Footage of emotional Rory McIlroy become's internet's biggest meme Instead, the property was acquired in 2009 by Herb Kohler for the sum of £11m, nearly half the price paid by the Wassermans three years earlier. Under Mr Kohler's watch, the careworn red sandstone structure was fastidiously restored to its former glory, with rooms once used by undergraduates transformed into dozens of luxury apartments. Over the course of the past 15 years, the Kohlers have quietly gone about their business, selling a series of residences at the site to super wealthy golf enthusiasts and investors, helping to turn Hamilton Grand, as it is now known, into one of the most exclusive property hot-spots in all of Scotland. An analysis by The Scotsman of the Kohler family firm's publicly available financial filings shows that between 2018 and 2022, it generated more than £34m in property sales. In 2021 alone, a year in which the property market experienced widespread uncertainty as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, sales amounted to £17.7m. Even by the lofty standards of the average house price in St Andrews - a figure just north of £528,000, according to Rightmove - the accommodation at Hamilton Grand has blown the rest of the market out of the water. 6 Six further seven-figure house sales have gone through at the nearby Gibson Place Credit: Katielee Arrowsmith 6 Locals claim prices could be pushed up even further following Rory McIlroy's Master's victory Credit: Katielee Arrowsmith 6 The cluster of streets surrounding the famous links course offers a chance to be part of a history Credit: Katielee Arrowsmith Property transactions maintained by Registers of Scotland and solicitors' filings show that since December 2014, there have been at least 15 sales of apartments at the development worth £1.3m or more. Some of the best positioned residences on the upper floors of Hamilton Grand have gone for considerably more. Indeed, it was previously thought the sale of an apartment at Hamilton Grand for £4m in 2022 had set a new Scottish property record for a flatted dwelling. But records maintained by the Lands Tribunal for Scotland as part of a separate valuation dispute show that one penthouse property at the site sold for about £7m. Another sought after two-bedroom residence sold for £3.6m three years ago, a sum that remains remarkable considering the average price of a flat in Scotland stands at around £135,000. According to one property owner at Hamilton Grand, the appeal lies not just in its location - residents have access to a roof terrace offering unparalleled views over the Old Course - but the exclusive services afforded by Kohler Co. The vast majority of the buyers from overseas make use of a butler service, housekeepers and even private chefs and a golf concierge. "We are talking about the kind of luxury service you would expect in a top-end US or Caribbean resort," explained the owner, who did not wish to be identified. "Scotland didn't offer that kind of elite proposition until the Kohlers came, and it's obvious that there's a demand." At least one other property at Hamilton Grand has sold for more than £3m, with a further five fetching prices in the £2m to £3m price range. Verzun, a niche private brokerage firm that works exclusively with homes worth £4m and above, was marketing a four-bedroom penthouse residence at Hamilton Grand for more than £7.5m. Kohler Co also maintains a variety of two-bedroomed, self-catering ensuite luxury apartments. A one-night stay at a two-bedroom residence in Hamilton Grand next week costs £1,070. Locals claim prices could be pushed up even further following Rory McIlroy's Master's victory. One said: ''Golf gets bigger and bigger and the money in the game and some of its fans now is huge. ''People pay silly money to live near here and the game has been given an even bigger boost with Rory's win. ''It's going to create even more interest in playing and wanting to live somewhere like this.''
Axios
17-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
All of Philly's former UArts buildings have sold: What's next
The fire sale for the University of the Arts' real estate portfolio in Center City has wrapped up. Why it matters: The new owners of the nine prized buildings are reimagining the city's central business and arts hub and ushering in new commercial and residential spaces. State of play: The final available UArts building, Gershman Hall, sold in Delaware's U.S. Bankruptcy Court this month. DSA 401 Lifetime LLC purchased the former theater and learning space at 401-11 S. Broad St. for more than $6.7 million, per court documents. The intrigue: It's unclear what the Delaware-based LLC is planning for the building, which is located between Suzanne Roberts Theatre and the Kimmel Center. The company is connected to Philly-based real estate investment firm Lubert-Adler. A lawyer for DSA 401 declined Axios' request for comment; Lubert-Adler did not return calls seeking comment. The big picture: The sales are an encouraging sign for Center City's expansion and renaissance, Drexel University economist Kevin Gillen tells Axios. "The repurposing, reuse and redeployment of historic properties to updated uses is not only the kind of socially conscious development that Philadelphia is well positioned for, it is also the kind that Philadelphia can serve as an example of," he added. Here's what's coming for the eight other buildings sold during the bankruptcy. 🖼️ Hamilton Hall: The Greek Revival-style building with large columns on Broad Street is expected to house an affordable arts studio, workshop and gallery spaces. A restaurant there is also possible. 🏠 Furness Hall: The former UArts dormitory behind Hamilton Hall is likely to become affordable artist apartments. Scout, the design firm that repurposed South Philly's Bok Building, owns both Furness and Hamilton Halls. 🥤Anderson Hall: The nine-story building at 329-335 S. Broad St. is expected to become apartments, with food retail on the ground floor, as well as artist spaces or offices, per the Inquirer. Dwight City Group, a New York-based commercial real estate company, paid $8.5 million for the property. 🎓 Terra Hall: The 17-story building at 211 S. Broad St. is expected to house Temple University Center City, which offers adult learning and enrichment. Temple University bought the building, the largest among the UArts buildings up for bid, for $18 million. 🛍️ Arts Bank: The four-story building at 601 S. Broad St. could have commercial space on the ground level with residential units above, per WHYY. Delaware-based Quadro Bay LLC purchased the building for $2.71 million. 🎷 Art Alliance: Curtis Institute of Music is expected to turn this Rittenhouse building into a space for music-related rehearsals and workshops, as well as administrative needs. The institute bought the building for $7.6 million.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Columbia University signals it will comply with Trump administration's demands
Columbia University signaled on Wednesday that it would comply with the Trump administration's demands in return for restoring $400 million in federal funding, saying it would "engage in constructive dialogue with our federal regulators." The Trump administration canceled the university's federal grants this month, accusing the university of "inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.' And last week, the administration sent a letter to the university, laying out nine demands Columbia must commit to by the end of business hours on Wednesday "as a precondition" to restore federal funding. The university's interim president, Katrina Armstrong, responded to the requests Wednesday, saying Columbia will "not waver from our principles and the values of academic freedom." She also appeared to suggest that the university will comply with the administration's demands. "Legitimate questions about our practices and progress can be asked, and we will answer them," Armstrong wrote in a letter posted on the university's website. "But we will never compromise our values of pedagogical independence, our commitment to academic freedom, or our obligation to follow the law." "We will also continue — as is our responsibility and as we have done throughout our history — to engage in constructive dialogue with our federal regulators, including on the work we are doing to address antisemitism, harassment, and discrimination, the tangible progress we are making, and the intensity of our commitment to this ongoing work," she added. She did not elaborate on the specifics of how the university plans to do both. The administration's nine demands include that Columbia ban masks, "complete disciplinary proceedings" for some student protestors, formalize a definition for antisemitism, reform its admissions process and place its Middle East, South Asian and African Studies department under "academic receivership," among other priorities, according to the letter the administration sent to Columbia last week. The administration is also calling for "long-term structural" changes to the university that it wants addressed in the near future. Columbia has already compiled with at least one of the administration's demands. On Thursday, it suspended or expelled some of the students who participated in the takeover of Hamilton Hall and temporarily revoked the diplomas of some graduates, nearly a year after the takeover took place. Some Jewish students expressed fear about the protests at Columbia and at other colleges across the country. Others have reported being assaulted within the last year as protests have, at times, taken over college campuses. In her letter, Armstrong acknowledged that antisemitism remained an issue on campus. 'I hope we can agree that the last two years have both highlighted real cracks in our existing structures and have created new problems that this campus community needs to address,' she wrote. 'Antisemitism, harassment, and discrimination of any kind are unacceptable and imperil both our sense of community as well as our very academic mission.' Within an hour before the letter was published, The Wall Street Journal reported that the university was nearing an agreement with the Trump administration. The university declined to comment on the Journal's report. The Trump administration's requests and pause on federal funding represent a broader, unprecedented attempt by the federal government to sway the affairs of higher education institutions in the U.S. In February, the Justice Department announced that it launched a task force to 'root out' what it calls 'anti-Semitic harassment in schools and on college campuses.' In addition to going after the university itself, the Department of Homeland Security has apprehended at least two Columbia students who participated in student-led protests against the war in Gaza this month. The arrest of one of those students, 30-year-old Mahmoud Khalil, has re-energized student activists and prompted fresh protests. And on Wednesday, the White House said in a statement on X that the administration was also pausing $175 million in federal grants to the University of Pennsylvania for allowing transgender women to compete on the university's women's sports teams. A spokesperson for Penn said in a statement that it had "not yet received any official notification or any details" regarding the White House's statement. This article was originally published on
NBC News
19-03-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Columbia University signals it will comply with Trump administration's demands
Columbia University signaled on Wednesday that it would comply with the Trump administration's demands in return for restoring $400 million in federal funding, saying it would "engage in constructive dialogue with our federal regulators." The Trump administration cancelled the university's federal grants earlier this month, accusing the university of "inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.' And last week, the administration sent a letter to the university, laying out nine demands Columbia must commit to by the end of business hours on Wednesday "as a precondition" to restore federal funding. Columbia University Interim President Katrina Armstrong responded to the requests on Wednesday, saying that the university will "not waver from our principles and the values of academic freedom." She also appeared to suggest that the university will comply with the administration's demands. "Legitimate questions about our practices and progress can be asked, and we will answer them," Armstrong wrote in a letter posted on the university's website. "But we will never compromise our values of pedagogical independence, our commitment to academic freedom, or our obligation to follow the law." "We will also continue — as is our responsibility and as we have done throughout our history — to engage in constructive dialogue with our federal regulators, including on the work we are doing to address antisemitism, harassment, and discrimination, the tangible progress we are making, and the intensity of our commitment to this ongoing work," she added. She did not elaborate on the specifics of how the university plans to do both. The administration's nine demands include that Columbia ban masks, "complete disciplinary proceedings" for some student protestors, formalize a definition for antisemitism, reform its admissions process and place its Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies department under "academic receivership," among other priorities, according to the letter the administration sent to Columbia last week. The administration is also calling for "long-term structural" changes to the university that it wants to the university to address in the near future. Columbia has already compiled with at least one of the administration's demands. On Thursday, it suspended or expelled some of the students who participated in the takeover of Hamilton Hall and temporarily revoked the diplomas of some graduates, nearly a year after the takeover took place. Some Jewish students expressed fear about the protests at Columbia and at other colleges across the country. Others have reported being assaulted within the last year as protests have, at times, taken over college campuses. In her letter, Armstrong acknowledged that antisemitism remained an issue on campus. 'I hope we can agree that the last two years have both highlighted real cracks in our existing structures and have created new problems that this campus community needs to address,' she wrote. 'Antisemitism, harassment, and discrimination of any kind are unacceptable and imperil both our sense of community as well as our very academic mission.' Within an hour before the letter was published, the Wall Street Journal reported that the university was nearing an agreement with the Trump administration. The university declined to comment on the Journal's report. The Trump administration's requests and pause on federal funding represent a broader, unprecedented attempt by the federal government to sway the affairs of higher education institutions in the U.S. In February, the Justice Department announced that it launched a task force to 'root out' what it calls 'anti-Semitic harassment in schools and on college campuses.' In addition to going after the university itself, the Department of Homeland Security has apprehended at least two Columbia students who participated in student-led protests against the war in Gaza this month. The arrest of one of those students, 30-year-old Mahmoud Khalil, has re-energized student activists and prompted fresh protests. And on Wednesday, the White House said in a statement on X that the administration was also pausing $175 in federal grants to the University of Pennsylvania for allowing transgender women to compete on the university's women's sports teams. A spokesperson for Penn said in a statement that it had "not yet received any official notification or any details" regarding the White House's statement.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Columbia University expels and suspends students over pro-Palestinian protests
The Brief Columbia University has expelled, suspended, or revoked the diplomas of students involved in the pro-Palestinian takeover of Hamilton Hall last spring. The crackdown comes as the Trump administration strips over $400 million in federal funding from Columbia, citing failure to address campus antisemitism. Last Saturday, Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia was detained by ICE and is facing deportation. NEW YORK - Columbia University has expelled, suspended, or revoked the diplomas of students involved in last spring's takeover of Hamilton Hall during pro-Palestinian protests. The university announced the disciplinary actions following a months-long investigation. What we know Columbia University confirmed in a campus-wide email that a judicial board issued a range of sanctions against students who occupied Hamilton Hall in April 2024 to protest the war in Gaza. The university did not specify how many students were expelled, suspended, or had their degrees revoked, stating that decisions were based on "the severity of behaviors." RELATED: Mahmoud Khalil's detention will stretch on as lawyers spar over Trump's plan to deport him The disciplinary process has been unfolding as the university faces increased scrutiny, including the Trump administration stripping over $400 million in federal funding due to what it calls a failure to address campus antisemitism. Congressional Republicans have cited Columbia's initial lack of disciplinary action as evidence of inaction. The backstory The protests at Columbia were part of a larger student movement against the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. The demonstrations began with a tent encampment, which inspired similar protests at colleges nationwide. On April 30, 2024, a smaller group of protesters escalated their actions by barricading themselves inside Hamilton Hall using furniture and padlocks. The following night, at the request of university leaders, the NYPD stormed the campus, arresting dozens of demonstrators involved in the encampment and building takeover. RELATED: Trump administration cancels $400M in grants, contracts with Columbia University In June, the Manhattan district attorney's office declined to press criminal charges against 31 of the 46 people initially arrested for trespassing inside the administrative building. However, those students still faced Columbia's internal disciplinary process, leading to Thursday's expulsion and suspension announcements. The other side While Columbia defends its disciplinary decisions as necessary, free speech advocates and some faculty members have raised concerns about a newly created disciplinary board that has initiated cases against students expressing criticism of Israel. Among those under investigation is Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Palestinian campus activist, who was not involved in the Hamilton Hall occupation but was recently detained by federal immigration authorities. What they're saying The decision to expel and suspend students has drawn mixed reactions. Gil Zussman, chair of the electrical engineering department and a member of Columbia's Task Force on Antisemitism, welcomed the move, stating: "Finally demonstrating that breaking university rules has consequences is an important first step towards going back to the core missions of research and teaching." Meanwhile, civil rights and free speech advocates warn that the university's new disciplinary actions may be targeting students for their political views rather than rule violations. The Source This article was written using sourcing and material from The Associated Press.
