BEND, OR  -- OSU Cascades has decided to begin construction on its new four year campus within two weeks. The college plans to move ahead with building the new campus on Bend's west side despite pending appeals.

OSU Cascades Vice President Becky Johnson says in the past they've waited while the legal process played out, but now they're running out of time to get the campus ready for students. "Certainly within every stage of the land use process, the appeals process, we've gotten additional information how our application was being interpreted.  And LUBA's was particularly strong in affirming that our application complied with city code," Johnson tells KBND. "Based on that, we needed to get started on this project and make significant process even if an appeal was pending."

Truth in Site, the organized opposition to the west side campus, has until June 29 to appeal to the Oregon Court of Appeals.

OSU Cascades plans to start excavating the ten-acre site off of Chandler Avenue the week of June 29.  The four-year campus is scheduled to open to students by the fall of 2016.