The New School plans to build a $353 million Greenwich Village university center — the largest construction project in its 91-year history.

Trustees on Wednesday endorsed plans for a 16-story complex to include classrooms, an auditorium, a library and a 608-bed dorm.

“The University Center embodies [our] evolution,” said President Bob Kerrey, the former Nebraska governor and senator. “[We are] amplifying [our] urban campus to serve degree-seeking students, who [are] now the majority of our enrollment [of 10,260].”

The project is to be built on a school-owned lot on Fifth Avenue between 13th and 14th streets. Construction is to begin in August and end in 2013.