WORCESTER, Mass. - Worcester Polytechnic Institute is moving forward on plans to purchase two local hotels for student housing, and administrators are responding to some of the criticism those plans have received from local leaders.

In a letter to the campus community, WPI confirmed it will purchase the Hampton Inn on Prescott Street and the Courtyard Marriott on Grove Street to offset a projected shortage in student housing:

“Many of you live in the city and therefore know that the Worcester housing market is extremely tight, with ever-increasing apartment rents and a vacancy rate of 1.7%, one of the lowest in the country,” the letter states. “This situation puts considerable strain on our students’ ability to find affordable housing and adds pressure to the city’s housing crunch. Our plans to increase our on-campus housing will not only help our students, it will also create space in the market for families and other renters impacted by the housing shortage.”

The letter, signed by Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Michael Horan and Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Philip Clay, outlines details of the school’s plans which had previously not been disclosed due to ongoing confidential discussions.

Initially, both hotels will continue to operate with the same capacity. WPI does not foresee the loss of any jobs for people currently employed at the hotels, and after the purchase, both buildings will remain on the city’s property tax rolls and generate hotel tax revenues while they continue to operate as hotels.

The Hampton Inn will be transitioned to student housing in 2026, while the Courtyard Marriott will continue to operate as a hotel through at least 2030.

Worcester City Councilor George Russell has some concerns about WPI’s plans, particularly about how the loss of these two hotels will impact visitors coming to Worcester.

“WPI should be looking at what they’re doing by taking away these units and making a major negative impact on our tourism,” Russell said. “In fact, the chairman of the Civic Center Commission sent a letter out the other day saying that they’re basically in noncompliance now because they don’t have enough hotel rooms to go by the contracts for the conventions they have.”

Earlier this month in a letter to WPI’s president, the city manager, mayor, Worcester Chamber of Commerce and other organizations said they're stunned to hear the school has been looking to buy both hotels, claiming the plans never came up during several meetings with WPI about its future plans.

The group opposes the proposal, citing it would take nearly $760,000 off the city's property tax roll and eliminate a quarter of the city's hotel rooms.