Duquesne University plans to brief the city planning commission today on a proposed change to the school's master plan to allow a residence hall to be built with 12 stories instead of eight.

The $38 million project will include approximately 400 beds arranged in suites of varying configurations, university spokeswoman Bridget Fare said Monday. The briefing is in advance of a commission hearing on the requested change that is slated for March 30, she said.

Duquesne wants to erect the residence hall, whose eight-story configuration is already part of its master plan, on the site of Des Places Hall. Contents of that structure -- including classrooms, faculty offices, WDUQ radio and the student newspaper -- will be relocated elsewhere on campus, she said.

Duquesne said the building is in the design stage and it hopes to break ground in spring 2011.

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