Commonwealth Stadium during Kentucky-Vanderbilt game

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Six of Kentucky's public universities have cleared an initial hurdle for a plan to spend $363 million on construction projects, including a makeover for the Kentucky Wildcats' Commonwealth Stadium.

The House Appropriations and Revenue Committee approved legislation Wednesday allowing the universities to proceed with the projects.

The top selling points for the proposal are that the projects will be paid for by the universities without any General Fund money and that they will create more than 5,000 construction jobs.

The biggest expenditure would be $110 million to renovate Commonwealth Stadium. Morehead, Murray, Northern and Western Kentucky universities also would get upgrades, as would the University of Louisville.

The legislation now goes to the full House for consideration.