Amway Center Update

From the Magic press release today:

AMWAY CENTER
"TOPPING OFF" CEREMONY

Construction on the new Amway Center in downtown Orlando met a milestone today as the placement of the final steel beam was recognized by the traditional "Topping Off" ceremony.

The 875,000 square foot Amway Center will open in the fall of 2010 and compete to host major national events, concerts and family shows, while serving as the home of the Orlando Magic.

Participants in the ceremony included Orlando Magic Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins, Mayors Buddy Dyer and Rich Crotty, City and County Commissioners and representatives from Hunt Construction Group.

"Topping Off," coined by ironwrokers in the 1920s, celebrates hoisting the final piece of structural steel once a building has reached its maximum height. The beam was signed by fans, construction crews, Orlando Magic and City and County officials. Traditionally "Topping Off" also involves placing a small tree or branches at the top of the new building to signify a safe and efficient job well done, while honoring nature for providing natural resources for its construction. Amway Center will be Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certified.

Seven short miles from Amway Center, the six, 380-footlong, 150-ton steel roof trusses were fabricated. Roof truss erection began on July 14. The entire structural steel portion of Amway Center is in excess of 3,000 tons. The cutting, shaping and assembling of the raw steel involved 200-plus local steel workers.

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