A new center at Coastal Carolina University, established through a major gift from Tony and Carrie Grant of Murrells Inlet, will serve as an information hub for real estate and economic data. In recognition of their generosity, the center will be named the Grant Center for Real Estate and Economic Development and will be housed in CCU's E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration.

The center will provide an industry-focused, collaborative environment where students, faculty members and the real estate industry can gain and share knowledge, information and international real estate business experiences. It will conduct and publish research on real estate and economic trends and host a variety of related events, serving as a bridge between CCU and the community. The center will also give faculty and students the opportunity to conduct applied research projects for local businesses, organizations and government agencies.

"The visionary gift provided by Tony and Carrie Grant will enable the Wall College to offer enhanced opportunities in the areas of commercial, industrial and residential real estate development," said Barbara Ritter, Ph.D., Wall College of Business dean. "Through their extraordinary generosity, the Grants will touch the lives of many students, providing scholarships, internships, and international student exchange and study tours focused on real estate development. The opportunities afforded by the Grant Center will not only assist in attracting and retaining the highest caliber of students, but will also contribute to the Wall College's growing reputation for preparing competitive students in a global market."

Tony Grant has spent a lifetime in the real estate profession. He grew up in the United Kingdom and founded Grant & Partners in London in 1965. In 1987, he moved to New York after being named president and CEO of London & Leeds Development Corp., the U.S. property subsidiary of Ladbroke Group PLC (later Hilton PLC). He had direct responsibility for a 4.7 million square foot office development program in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami. He later returned to London to serve as board chairman and joint chief executive of Olives Property PLC. Grant's background includes serving as world president of FIABCI (the International Real Estate Federation) and chairman of the Americas region of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The Grants moved to the Grand Strand area in 2003.

Carrie Grant, an artist and designer, earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in applied art and graphic design at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria. She has operated her own graphic design and advertising firm since the early 1970s.

"Having met some of the professors and students and seeing the standards of excellence to which the Wall College of Business aspires and does achieve, I firmly believe this center will have a major impact," said Tony Grant. "It is inspiring to witness the productive relationship the college enjoys with the Horry and Georgetown communities. The new center is a marvelous opportunity to further strengthen the close links between the University and the extremely active and professional real estate market that we are fortunate to have in the Grand Strand area."