EUGENE, Ore. -- The University of Oregon will soon be growing.

The Oregon State Board of Higher Education's Finance and Administration Committee approved a proposal for a new dorm on the University of Oregon campus. The East Campus Residence Hall will provide housing for 449 students and contain faculty offices and classrooms. The new residence hall will be located on 15th Avenue and Moss Street.

The $75 million dollar project will help U of O develop a long-range housing plan, with a goal to eventually house 25% of the university's undergraduates, says Robin Holmes, UO Residence Hall and UO Vice President for student affairs. The East Campus Residence Hall will be designated as a language immersion and honors college facility.

The next step in the construction process will be a hearing in front of the Joint Ways and Means Committee of the Oregon Legislature in mid-January 2010, following a Legislative expendature limitation decision by the Chancellor.