Lancaster Higher Education Authority is set to issue $30 million in bonds to Franklin & Marshall College so the college can build a new residence hall on campus.

The hall will house 180 to 200 students and is tentatively scheduled for a fall 2010 opening, college spokesman Keith Orris said Tuesday night after a meeting of Lancaster City Council.

City Council must approve the measure because the authority is a city entity.

Councilwoman Kendra Saunders said while F&M will absorb the entire cost of the project, it will still save $600,000 by financing the project through the authority.

Orris said the residence hall will be built on a portion of the practice football field at Harrisburg and Race avenues. Its design will be similar to that of the neighboring Ann & Richard Barshinger Life Sciences & Philosophy Building, he said.

In addition to the construction of the residence hall, F&M will use a portion of the money to renovate Fackenthal Laboratories.

Orris said the college could have financed the project with the help of Pennsylvania Higher Education Authority but opted to work with the city group to keep a "hometown feel" to the project.

"It keeps the city involved in the project, and that's an important factor for us," Orris said.

Both entities finance buildings and facilities for colleges and universities at competitive rates.

Orris said F&M is just getting started on the design process and hopes to have an architect in place in the next several weeks.

"We have to work expeditiously if we have any hope of getting this completed within the timetable we've set for ourselves," he said.

The new hall will contain a mixture of room types including doubles and suites, Orris said.

Construction of the new residence hall is part of the college's plan to have all students live on campus within the next 10 years.

Upon completion of the project, the college will still need housing for about 240 students, Orris said. Although a plan for a student housing district proposed by the college and developer Kevin Silverang fell apart earlier this year, Orris said F&M continues to work with the developer to provide adequate off-campus housing for those students.

Council likely will vote on the project at its next meeting.

Also Tuesday night, City Council approved streetscape design standards for a portion of downtown. Boundaries for the district, which has been reduced since the plan's initial proposal, are Lemon Street, Prince Street, Farnum Street, Church Street and Duke Street.

In other business, City Council recognized National Public Works Week and honored the city's 200 public works employees.

E-mail: jtodd@lnpnews.com