The Boston-based college bought the eight-story Foster Street building two years ago. The estimated $12-million to $15-million plan involves a 200-bed dormitory as well as academic space in the facility. Chris Sampson, spokesperson for the university, tells GlobeSt.com that the first floor will remain as commercial space. A CVS Pharmacy and a restaurant currently occupy the space. The rest of the building is vacant.

"We currently don't provide housing on our Worcester campus," notes Sampson, who adds that it is easier to recruit students when there is housing available.

The Elm Street building will be used to house a physician assistant's program that the pharmacy college recently took over from Notre Dame College, which closed. The college bought the building from Keyspan Corp., which will lease back the top floor of the three-story building. Sampson says that the college anticipates that the building will be ready for students by January.