DECATUR – The Illinois Board of Higher Education unanimously voted in two seconds to allocate $1,450,700 toward improvements for NIU at Wednesday’s meeting.

The improvements include upgrading the Holmes Student Center fire system, said Patricia Hewitt, business and operations associate vice president.

“The first step is to get an engineer to design the system,” Hewitt said. The system needs to be designed specially because the building is so old, she said.

After the system is designed, bidding by contractorscan begin, she said.

“We want it designed, bidded on, and done by spring, as quickly as possible,” Hewitt said.

The lighting replacement from incandescent to fluorescent lighting probably will not begin until summer, since the lighting to be replaced is on students’ floors, she said.

The board approved $500,000 for the fire system upgrading at the student center, $250,000 for lighting replacement in Lincoln and Douglas Residence Halls, $350,700 for the reconstruction of one parking lot and resurfacing of three other lots, and $350,000 for the installation of a smoke detection system in Lincoln hall.

“The matter has been thoroughly reviewed by officials at NIU and the Board of Regents,” said IBHE Executive Director Richard WagnEr.

The money the IBHE distributes “comes from student fees, tuition and state tax dollars,” he said.