School’s not in session yet, but residence halls will still be packed in the coming week.
Beginning Aug. 21, some 840 Democratic National Convention staff members will be staying at Centennial Halls, Centennial Towers and Nelson Hall. Staffers are expected to leave campus Aug. 29.
Students will begin moving into residence halls Sept. 1.
With 50,000 people expected to travel to Denver during the convention, housing has become a hot commodity. Hotel rates have peaked as many sold out quickly; city residents are renting out rooms via networks like Craigslist and the Democratic National Convention Committee Web site.
There are usually three weeks between when conference guests leave and the dorms open to students, says Housing Associate Director Christy Cerrone. This year, however, campus housing staff, as well as custodial and maintenance staff, “will be working all weekend to ensure that the residence halls are ready for the new students to move in,” Cerrone says.
Campus Safety will provide extra security on campus while the DNC staffers are here, says Melanie Eaton, assistant director at University Events.
Campus parking is not expected to be impacted by the DNC stay, Eaton says. Most guests will not have cars and will use light-rail to travel from campus to the Pepsi Center. Dining facilities will not be open during the DNC stay.