June 10, 2004
SIUC projects move forward with Board's approval
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- The SIU Board of Trustees gave its approval to a variety of projects proposed in Carbondale. The nod came at the Board's regular meeting today (Thursday, June 10) in Edwardsville.
A new coal handling system that will include a new coal silo near SIUC's power plant on south U.S. Route 51 in Carbondale will keep the University's coal pile drier and make the Southern Illinois coal-fired power plant more efficient.
Adding the silo, which will accommodate 2,000 tons of coal, will cost $3.3 million. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will provide grants to pay for about 30 percent of the cost.
In addition, the board approved using revenue bond financing to cover $450,000 of expenses for the Evergreen Terrace Apartment Complex, which provides housing for students and their families. Although SIUC operates the complex, original funding and financing were through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The federal agency still controls much of the complex's financial operations and has denied raising rents to levels proposed by the University and approved by the Board of Trustees.
The money will cover operational expenses and pay for about $188,000 of cabinet work that workers completed recently as part of on-going improvements.
Trustees also approved granting a formal utility easement to the City of Carbondale along McLafferty Road west of campus. Several utilities exist along the designated area already. The agreement simply formalizes what has been past practice.