Before the new Transportation Education Center opens, it will need to be furnished.

The Executive Committee of the SIU Board of Trustees met Monday to approve a $1.79 million purchase of furniture for the new center being built for automotive and aviation programs near the Southern Illinois Airport.

The automotive technology program is currently located in Carterville, the aviation technologies program is at the airport, and the flight and management programs are on SIUC’s campus.

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Although the furniture is being purchased by the university for the center, SIU President Glenn Poshard said the money will be reimbursed by the state through the grant for the facility.

“We’re about to finish up the TEC center,” he said. “And you can’t have a huge building like that and no furniture.”

Poshard said there were no major concerns over the approval for the facility. The approval for purchase went to three different bidders.

According to the resolution passed at the meeting, the agreement for the grant SIUC entered into in March 2011 states the funds for both the equipment and construction of the Transportation Education Center will be reimbursed.

“It’s a big issue here,” Poshard said. “We’re about to get it finished on time and on budget. We’re just waiting on chairs and desks.”

Poshard said the facility is expected to be completed this summer. He said he hopes the facility draws an increase in industry-related business in the area around TEC.

“We hope that this building may be the anchor to start something like that,” he said.

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The board also approved a $9.7 million award to expand and renovate the engineering building on the Edwardsville campus. According to the contract, the construction will begin in the spring and is set to be completed in the summer of 2013. The funding is projected to go toward additional offices, classrooms, and teaching and research space to accommodate possible enrollment growth, the contract states.

The awarded contract went to six different bidders for services.