Dorm rooms booked for ’16 GOP convention

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Organizers trying to secure housing for the Republicans’ 2016 presidential nominating convention in Cleveland are turning to universities for some of those beds.

The host committee needs to line up 17,000 rooms for the four-day convention scheduled, conveniently, in July, when many college residence hall rooms are likely to be empty during summer break, the Northeast Ohio Media Group reports.

Organizers have reserved 650 rooms at Cleveland State University. They also are reaching out to Baldwin Wallace, Case Western Reserve and John Carroll universities.

The host committee is responsible for lining up housing and other venues, but the Republicans’ convention leaders decide how those spaces are used.

and by whom, Host Committee President and CEO Terry Egger said. For now, the committee is lining up facilities.

“We want to create a list of inventory and secure agreements,” Egger said.

The university dorm rooms might be simple, but they’d be near the action and could house attendees who need to stay close by, such as hundreds of convention staff and security forces.

The host committee also might reserve meeting rooms and larger venues at universities, such as the Wolstein Center, Cleveland State University’s basketball arena.

Egger said the universities have provided facilities in the past for other events, such as the Gay Games.

The GOP convention is scheduled to start July 18, 2016.