Image courtesy of NBBJ

As colleges face an uncertain path to resuming classes, Suffolk University is moving forward with plans to replace an Allston temporary dorm with new student housing near Government Center.

The Boston Planning & Development Agency approved plans to convert the 14-story former Ames Hotel at 1 Court St. into 300 beds of undergraduate dorm space and a 2,200-square-foot ground-floor cafe space facing the Washington Mall.

Suffolk University has indicated it plans to reopen in fall 2020 and incorporate virtual learning into its curriculum.

Suffolk looked for new student housing options as its two-year lease nears expiration on May 31 for a temporary dorm at 1047 Commonwealth Ave. in Allston. That property, which contains 188 microapartment-style dorm units, was acquired by a Pennsylvania developer in May 2019 for $75 million.

The Court Street project supports Suffolk’s goal of housing 50 percent of full-time students in university housing, up from the current 30 percent.

Plans by architecture firm NBBJ call for minor interior updates and furniture changes, new external university signage and upgrades to the cafe’s outdoor seating area. Suffolk agreed to transportation improvements including an $85,000 contribution for a new or expanded Blue Bikes station, 16 visitor bicycle spaces and on-street bicycle racks.