The Port Authority Board of Directors today gave final approval to the purchase of the SportsWorks, the lease of its South Hills Village lot and to agreements that will continue to allow free rides by Pitt and CMU students.

The Port Authority will pay Carnegie Institute $5 million for the SportsWorks, in addition to moving costs, which are expected to be about $300,000. The property is needed for the North Shore Connector.

The authority does not expect to take control of the property until September 2008, and SportsWorks will remain open until then. The institute intends to build a replacement.

The board OK'd a long-term lease of the 598-space upper park-and-ride lot adjacent to South Hills Village Station.

Lauth Property Group, doing business as Metro Acquisitions LLC, will pay the authority $131,500 annually for 99 years for the Village Drive property, on which it plans to construct medical and professional offices.

The board has new five-year agreements with the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University that will maintain the ability of students, faculty and staff to ride by displaying a current ID card.

Under terms of the agreements, payments to Port Authority from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University will increase 15 percent each year.

Finally, the transit agency welcomed four police officers, filling positions vacated by retirements and keeping the force at 44 members.

They are Danielle Hilgartner, a former authority security officer and dispatcher; Marc Noce, who previously worked with Oakdale and Midway police departments; Shawn Mauro, former chief of the Oakdale department; and Michael Hampton, a 12-year veteran of the Allegheny County Housing Authority Police.

The new members were sworn at today's monthly authority board meeting by Common Pleas Judge Terrence O'Brien.