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High-rise student housing debuts in the heart of downtown
The Inn welcomes its first tenants, offers up LoDo lifestyle
By Kristi Peregoy
kperegoy@mscd.edu

The average college student can nearly guarantee that he or she will not be living in a downtown luxury high-rise apartment until landing a profitable post-graduation job.

But thanks to The Inn at Auraria, college students attending any of the Auraria campus schools can rejoice and enjoy some luxury after all.

The Inn at Auraria, the third housing project for the Auraria campus, welcomed more than 200 new residents on its opening day, Aug. 18, nine days after Campus Village held its grand opening.

Unlike The Regency and Campus Village, The Inn at Auraria truly is in the heart of downtown Denver. The Inn is located on 14th and Curtis Streets in the upper 14 floors of the former Executive Tower building.

The Inn will also be home to The Curtis Hotel, which will be on the first 16 floors. Students may even be employed by the hotel, which may open its doors later this fall, according to Hart.

Residents are only a short walk away from Denver landmarks such as the Pepsi Center, Larimer Square, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the 16th Street Mall and, of course, the Auraria Campus.

“Students here get to be in school and also have a LoDo lifestyle,” said Jordan Ross, a CCD sophomore who is one of seven community assistants at The Inn.

The grand opening proved that not only are residents happy to be in Denver, but Denver is happy to have its population grow.

“Some stores on the 16th Street Mall are giving discounts to students who just moved in, things like massages and hair treatments,” Ross said on opening day.

To welcome The Inn and its residents, local Denver businesses such as the Wynkoop Brewing Co., the Theater Café and Wazee Pizza catered the event with free food.

“Sure, there’s a lot to do here as long as you’re 21,” said Carter Burgess, a third year Metro student, about what to do when not in class.

On the Saturday after the massive move-in, Club Vinyl gave students, who wore purple wristbands inside the club, a five-dollar discount for a social event called The Inn mixer.

“It will be a lot of fun. There are so many nightclubs and a great nightlife here,” Ross said the Friday before the mixer.

Though The Inn offers many things outside its walls, it has been designed to appeal on the inside as well. The Inn features perks such as a coffee bar, 9.5-foot ceilings, fully furnished rooms, maid service, a cyber lounge, on-site laundry facilities and 72 channels of cable, including HBO.

“The furniture is Pottery Barn worthy,” said general manager Liv Hart.

The leases are individual and don’t include parking, but do include all amenities and cost anywhere from $595 to $724 a month depending on the floor plan, according to theinnatauraria.com.

Also, if a future resident takes a tour and decides to fill out a lease within 48 hours, the normal fees that come along with apartment shopping are waived. “It’s cheaper than other places that start at like $700 or $800,” Burgess said.

Hart said there are still vacancies, but by next year they expect to have a waiting list.