Wrecking crews began demolishing the College Hall apartment complex at 800 Montgomery Ave. in Bryn Mawr on Wednesday, Aug. 19, ending a chapter that brought years of noise complaints and police calls to the neighborhood.

The Shipley School, which bought the 17-acre property from Altman Management Co. for $12 million in August 2025, is tearing down the buildings that once housed about 100 Villanova University students. The complex, known as "Courts" among students, had been a popular off-campus party destination for decades.

Shipley Head of School Ian Craig told the school community in August 2025 that the pre-K through 12th grade school had been in talks to acquire the adjacent property "for decades."

The school has not announced what it plans to do with the land.

Complaints drove the sale

The demolition caps a saga that intensified in 2023 and 2024. The Villanovan reported that during the first two weeks of the fall 2022 semester, the Lower Merion Police Department received three complaint calls from community members about College Hall. During the same two-week window in fall 2023, that number jumped to 10. Complaints included rowdy behavior, noisy parties, underage drinking and fire alarm activation.

The Villanovan reported that the mounting community complaints ultimately pushed Altman Management Co. to sell the property to the adjacent school.

Future plans unannounced

The 17-acre parcel sits directly next to Shipley's existing 40-acre campus at 814 Yarrow St. The acquisition could expand the school's footprint significantly, but no site plan, zoning application or public hearing has been announced.

No demolition permit for 800 Montgomery Ave. appeared in a search of township public records. Residents who want to track any future land-use proposals for the site can monitor Lower Merion Township's building and planning board agendas.