30-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Unsold: Ex-RGU union will go back up for auction after top bid of £513k
The former RGU students' union located on Schoolhill will go back under the hammer after it received a top price of a tenth of what it last sold for.
In December 2014, the B-listed ex-student hub and the Clarke Building on Harriet Street were sold by the university for £5 million.
It was bought by Malmaison/Hotel du Vin Group, who were expected to make it into a 255-bedroom boutique hotel and restaurant.
The project received planning permission in 2015, but the oil and gas downturn saw this vision scrapped.
Up for online auction yesterday by Future Property Auctions, it received a top bid of £513,500 after 17 bids were submitted for the property.
The lot, which has been described as a 'fantastic development opportunity' by auctioneers Future Property Auctions, includes 54-70 Schoolhill.
The university's former building on Harriet Street will also be included in the sale.
As well as the buildings, which measure 88,794 square feet, it includes a central courtyard.
It was in use by the Robert Gordon University until 2013.
Its closure meant that despite Aberdeen being home to two universities and a college, the city centre has no students' union.
Despite a revival of the hotel plans coming back on the table three years ago, it never took off.
Architects Halliday Fraser Munro said the two buildings have enough space for about 85 flats and a retail space.
Also, if it did become housing, it would be eligible for Aberdeen City Council's affordable housing waiver.
This would make it exempt from the requirement to include affordable homes.
It will be back up for auction on June 12.
Inn at the Park, which is located in Ferryhill, will also go back up for auction on June 12.
It comes after it received a high bid of £435k.
A total of 31 bids were submitted for the property at yesterday's auction.
The bidding opened at £405k despite a guide price of £450k.
This did not meet the seller's demand, and the lot will go back up for sale for a third time.
On May 15, an online auction conducted by Future Property Auctions saw a high bid of £502k after receiving a total of eight bids for the 11-bedroom hotel.
The property also includes a bar, lounge, restaurant, function room and two beer gardens.
The next day, it was confirmed that the price failed to meet the expectations of the owners of the hotel.
Before going up for auction, Inn at the Park was last up on the market in late 2016.
At that time offers in excess of £550k were being sought for the Deemount Terrace hotel.
