Lead bidder for UArts’ Hamilton Hall plans art gallery, work space for artists, and restaurant

The lead bidder for the iconic Hamilton Hall on South Broad Street said Monday that the arts would be a focus for the building, with plans for a gallery in the front lobby where local artists’ work would be displayed and the public could view it for free.

“Our goal is to create a live, work, play environment with an artisan component to it,” said Judah Angster, CEO of Dwight City Group, a commercial real estate investment and asset management company based in New York, with offices in Upper Darby.

In addition to a café restaurant for the main atrium section of the building, which was part of the now closed University of the Arts, there are also plans “to reimagine spaces” in the building for use by artists, he said.

» READ MORE: More bids come in for three UArts buildings, including the iconic Hamilton Hall on South Broad Street

Hamilton is the grand building with large columns that was central to UArts’ branding and where protests were held on the steps when the school’s sudden closure was announced last June.

Angster’s company also bid on Furness Hall, which is attached to Hamilton and had been used as a student residence. That building will be converted into “affordable luxury” apartments at “attractive price points,” he said. The company offered $12 million for Hamilton and Furness, which are two of nine former UArts buildings being sold through U.S. bankruptcy court in Wilmington.

The issue of whether former UArts’ buildings should be maintained for artistic use has stirred heated conversation, the Pennsylvania attorney general launching an unsuccessful court objection to grant the Arts Bank to a local theater company instead of a developer.

» READ MORE: Mayor Parker can help keep the arts in the Avenue of the Arts — if she acts quickly

There is competition for Hamilton and Furness: Lindsey Scannapieco’s company Scout, which repurposed the Bok Building for artists, plans to challenge The Dwight Group’s bid and try to force a public auction this week. She would like to preserve Hamilton for artist workspaces and the attached Furness building for subsidized apartments for artists.

A variety of public officials have submitted letters or statements in favor of Scannapieco’s bid, including State Sen. Nikil Saval; at-large Councilmember Rue Landau; Councilmember Mark Squilla, who represents the east side Broad Street; and Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who represents the west side of the thoroughfare.

Some supporters of Scout’s efforts, including Saval, have cited the company’s proven local work and noted that the company’s waitlist of 600 at Bok meant the buildings could be put back into use swiftly.

“Scout’s bid for the former UArts facilities builds on the strengths of their portfolio of work,” said Saval, in a letter of support. “The project they propose for Furness and Hamilton Halls will prioritize creative studios and housing in a sought-after neighborhood, as well as an events space to ensure that the art created is accessible to the larger Philadelphia community.”

Scannapieco had bid $12 million as well, but lost out because she wasn’t able to offer cash for the properties, as The Dwight Group was.

“Have they done something like this [a combination of artist and market rate uses] before,” asked Scannapieco, before declining to comment further.

Angster said his company doesn’t have experience with this precise kind of mixed use project, which is why he is looking to partner with organizations that operate artisan studios. He declined to name the groups, saying talks are still in progress.

“The art component for us is new,” said Angster, “but not the residential portion — that we’re well versed in — which is why we’re looking for the right type of partner on the artisan side of the project.”

Asked if The Dwight Group also would offer subsidized apartments to artists, Angster said: “We would have to see what the demand is for the artisan space,” adding that if an artist rented space in the building, it’s possible they could get a discounted rate.

Angster said he wasn’t sure whether it would come to an auction, but that he knew other bidders may be interested in the buildings as well. That’s up to the court, he said.

Angster said he recognizes the importance of Hamilton’s location and its prominence in the art community and wants to make sure that focus is maintained. That was the company’s intention from the time the team walked through the building, he said.

“It began from day one as part of the vision of, how do we work with this property and how can it work between the residential side and the artisan side,” said Angster.

His company, he said, has been working on residential adaptive use projects in Philadelphia for the last five or six years. He said their average one bedroom rents for $1,250 to $1,400 and a two-bedroom for $1,450 to $1,650.

Most of their experiences in the Philadelphia area has been in outlying neighborhoods, such as Juniata Park and Germantown or inner ring suburbs like Upper Darby and Darby Township. They have focused on transforming warehouses and small office buildings into apartments.

The company also placed the leading bid for Anderson Hall, the second-largest of the nine UArts buildings for sale. The bid was $8.5 million. That building will be used for residential purposes with retail on the ground floor, he said. His company also intends to include something for the arts on the second floor, he said.