Southern Oregon University received the go-ahead Tuesday from the City of Ashland Planning Commission to move forward with the construction of two new residence halls and a dining hall on the north side of Ashland Street.

Each of the new buildings will be erected adjacent to the school's existing Greensprings Residential Complex, and will create a more community-like atmosphere for students living on campus, said Jonathan Eldridge, vice president for student affairs at SOU.

After SOU agreed to some minor changes involving the design of the dorm buildings, installation of additional pedestrian safety devices, and modification of pedestrian routes, the commission unanimously approved the project.

The decision on the application to build was continued from a Dec. 13 planning commission meeting, which ran too long to hold a vote.

The project will cost an estimated $40 million, which SOU will pay for over an extended period by entering into a ground-lease arrangement with American Campus Communities, the developer it selected for the project.

The buildings were designed by SERA Architecture, of Portland.

Construction on the project is set to begin April 5, said Eldridge, and should employ about 200 people for about 18 months. Locally-based Adroit Construction will oversee that effort.

The school hopes to move students into the new halls by fall term 2013, Eldridge said.

According to the SOU master plan, the Cascade Complex, which now houses about 600 students and a dining hall, eventually will be torn down and replaced with academic buildings.

The new development totals more than 200,000 square feet over the three structures, and is one of the largest construction projects in Ashland's history.