SIU Trustees Approve Contracts for SIUE School of Engineering Design Center
The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees, at its regularly scheduled meeting on the Edwardsville campus today, approved contracts worth more than $3.5 million to construct a student project design center for the School of Engineering. The board also approved budgets to resurface parking lots at the SIU School of Dental Medicine in Alton and to replace flooring materials in single-student apartments at Cougar Village on the SIUE campus.
The student project design center will be a two-story facility attached to the existing Engineering Building. The addition will include workshop space for student design teams working on various projects used in academic competitions. The space will also be used for the capstone senior design projects that require design, fabrication and assembly.
The approved $4,890,000 budget for the project will be funded through private donations ($1,444,000) and University plant funds ($3,446,000). The project is necessary to accommodate the student shop space for special projects.
The board also approved a $2.5 million budget to resurface or rebuild seven SIU SDM parking lots. The project will include expansion and reconfiguration of three lots to increase accessibility and safety. Also included will be new pavement markings, curbs, replacing accessible curb ramps, sections of new sidewalk and new, energy efficient LED lighting. Parking fees will repay the debt service. As a result of the project being defined as a non-instructional capital improvement financed with local funds, the Illinois Board of Higher Education will need to approve before commitment of funds.
The board approved a $1.2 million budget to replace the flooring material in the 400 side of single-student housing at Cougar Village apartments. The flooring’s shelf life has expired and needs replacement. Housing reserve, repair and replacement funds will support the project.
The board also approved development of planning and costs to renovate the Morris University Center (MUC) and the adjacent Student Success Center (SSC). SIUE will develop a comprehensive master plan that will consider everything from infrastructure improvements to renovation and expansion of the MUC and SSC. Funding would be provided by MUC and SSC fees, as well as reserve, repair and replacement funds.
