Several Boston colleges have filed plans with the city to take over all or parts of local hotels and apartment buildings to house students this fall.
Even with anticipated reduced numbers of students on campus, schools say they need extra space because Covid-19 planning means eliminating triples and four-person units and making room to house any students who test positive on Covid-19 tests for two weeks at a time. The proposals need the approval of both the BPDA and ISD.

Among the filings with the BPDA:
Northeastern University
Northeastern has proposed renting 11 floors in the Westin Copley Place to house up to 575 students in 290 rooms - and up to 40 staffers in 40 more rooms. Northeastern says it is talking to the hotel about possibly renting several ballrooms and conference rooms, as well as the Gretta Luxe and IJ Fox stores, for use as classrooms, faculty and staff offices, a "grab and go" dining area and a mailroom for students housed there.
The university also wants to rent the entire Midtown Motel on Huntington Avenue for to house up to 297 students and 8 staffers in 157 rooms, and wants to increase the number of students it houses in apartment buildings with which it already has leases on Hemenway Street, Huntington Avenue, Symphony Road, Westland Avenue, St. Stephen Street and Columbus Avenue by as many as 328 in 147 apartments.
The school also wants to rent Symphony Hall's Cohen Wing for use as a student cafeteria.

Boston University
BU wants to take over the six-story 1047 Commonwealth Ave. in Allston's Packard Corner to house up to 179 quarantined students after positive tests. The building, which has the Caffe Nero on the first floor, served as spillover housing for BU when it renovated Myles Standish Hall a few years ago.
While in quarantine, students will have full access to wireless internet in their accommodations, so they are able to attend classes remotely and participate in virtual student activities. Each unit is equipped with a full kitchen and a washer/dryer. Bed linen, pillow, and towels will be provided by BU. The accommodations also include a supply of groceries and beverages, and BU Dining Services will provide regular delivery of prepared meals for reheating, fresh fruit, produce, and dairy products.
The building would have full-time security at the door, BU says.

Suffolk University
Suffolk has proposed parts of several hotels to house both well and quarantined students.
The school is proposing to rent 75 rooms in the Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall to initially house all students arriving from outside New England, New York and New Jersey for two weeks of quarantine at the beginning of the semester and to then reserve the rooms for any students who test positive during the school year.
The school is also proposing to rent 162 rooms in the DoubleTree Hilton on Washington, 156 rooms in the Wyndham Hotel on Blossom Street and 80 rooms in the Boxer Hotel on Merrimac Street.

New England Conservatory
The school wants to rent up to 98 single-occupancy rooms in the Revolution Hotel, 40 Berkeley St. in the South End, with an area for students to pick up dropped-off meals and possibly with space to set up two to three practice areas for students.