Point Park University has signed a contract with Wyndham Grand hotel in Downtown that will place up to 90 freshmen in off campus housing at the start of the upcoming semester.
“The location of the Wyndham is really advantageous for us, as it’s only a 5- to 6-minute walk to campus,” Louis Corsaro, a spokesman for Point Park said in an email to TribLive.
The university announced last week that this year’s incoming freshman class is expect to increase more than 25%, making it the largest group of first-year enrollment in the college’s history. This has lead to on-campus housing to become full and students without room assignments, Corsaro said.
Point Park attributes enrollment growth to men’s and women’s wrestling and lacrosse being introduced to the athletics program as well as rising interest in the Conservatory of Performing Arts since the establishment of the School of Dance and the School of Theatre, Film and Animation in January, a news release said.
The school has estimated they will be using around 40 to 45 rooms in the Wyndham Grand during the fall 2025 semester and will be reevaluating the contract on a semester to semester basis.
Despite living off campus, students housed in the hotel will still have a resident assistant in their building to with the transition to college, Corsaro said.
Similarly, University of Pittsburgh announced in July, that hundreds of first-year students will be living at Webster Apartments at 101 N. Dithridge St., the Hampton Inn at 3315 Hamlet St. and Pennsylvania Apartments at 300 N. Dithridge St.
The students being housed at the Wyndham Grand will not incur any additional costs and each room will have two queen-size beds, he said.
Corsaro said that Point Park had placed students at the Wyndham Grand during covid.
”We have always had a great relationship with the Wyndham in the past, so we’re thrilled to be working with them on us,” he said.