Maryland Board of Public Works to vote on contract extension to give Morgan State extra housing at local hotel

Morgan State University is looking to extend its contract with Lord Baltimore Hotel, where students are staying due to full dorms.

The Maryland Board of Public Works will vote on whether to extend the housing contract for the spring semester at its scheduled meeting Nov. 16.

The contract is for 128 rooms with 248 beds with a price tag of $1,700,000. The spring contract extension requires fewer beds than the fall semester contract.

The university sought external housing options to address shortages ahead of the school year. This school year, Morgan State welcomed more than 9,100 students, a record number. The university also had record enrollment the previous school year.

Lord Baltimore Hotel previously housed homeless people during the coronavirus pandemic as part of an agreement with the City of Baltimore. The historic hotel, established in 1928, has rooms that range from about $100 to $300 per night.