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UK: The world famous Cambridge University Union Society wants to build a boutique hotel next to its debating chamber.
The student debating society, which has hosted speakers as diverse as Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Clint Eastwood and Stephen Hawking, is aiming to raise £10 million by the time it celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2015.
It is considering spending £8 million on developing a boutique hotel on the bridge Street site. The main Union building, which contains the main chamber, would not be affected by the plan.
The income would be used to restore and refurbish the Union building, which is described as being in an “objectively poor state of repair”. Funds generated by the hotel would also be used to give the Union more space by reclaiming the leases of its other premises, and to provide bursaries for students from poor backgrounds.
The Union said it plans to work with an “established hotel chain” on the project, choosing either to build the accommodation itself and then lease it, or to enter into a joint venture.
cus.org
