Suffolk University has begun preliminary demolition of a building in Boston’s Beacon Hill to make way for a new academic building, despite lacking a contractor for construction that is planned for early spring.

In a meeting with Beacon Hill residents this morning, university officials announced they hope to begin building a new $68 million structure at 20 Somerset St. that will house the university’s New England School of Art and Design and other classroom space in late March or early April, assuming a contractor is in place.

Walsh Brothers construction began asbestos removal this morning at the former headquarters of the Metropolitan District Commission, which the 108,000-square-foot structure will replace, according to Rob Whitney, a member of the Beacon Hill Civic Association’s board of directors who attended the morning’s meeting.

"Assuming the construction timeline given is accurate, this is great news," said State Rep. Marty Walz, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Education. "It’s important to move forward so that we no longer have a vacant building in a state of decay on that block. Revitalizing that area with a new classroom building will benefit Somerset Street."

The project was approved by the Boston Redevelopment Authority in January 2009. When the building is complete, Suffolk will remove 200 seats from classrooms in the Temple Street area and relocate those students to 20 Somerset.

"The fact that 20 Somerset is moving forward is good, because it relieves some of the pressure for people living in that area of the neighborhood," said Whitney.

The school has agreed to move another 200 students to the new building in the next several years, clearing more students from the residential areas surrounding Suffolk’s campus, Whitney said. Suffolk officials could not be reached for comment at press time.