Two Topping Out Ceremonies in Two Days as Rapid Progress Continues
Two major milestones took place this week in The District Detroit as ironworkers at both the Mike Ilitch School of Business and the Little Caesars World Headquarters campus expansion affixed final steel beams to the high point of each structure one day apart.
On May 23 and 24 crews commemorated these milestones with traditional topping out ceremonies during which ironworkers signed their names, attached banners, flags and an evergreen tree before the structural steel was hoisted into place.
These events mark incredible progress underway in The District Detroit, as well as the ongoing comeback story in Detroit and across Michigan.
A topping out ceremony is a proud moment for ironworkers and crews, whose hard work and dedication is bringing these important projects to life.
Construction crews broke ground on the $150 million Little Caesars World Headquarters campus expansion in September 2016. The 234,000 square-foot office building is the first newly-built global headquarters building in the city of Detroit in a decade. It’s scheduled to be completed in 2018.
The Mike Ilitch School of Business building is also scheduled to open in 2018 and will serve more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Its location at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Temple extends Wayne State University’s campus south and closer to the heart of Detroit’s business community.
The university building was made possible by a $40 million gift from Mike and Marian Ilitch, the largest gift in the history of Wayne State University.
Both projects are Michigan Made, Detroit Built—with contributions from Detroit-based construction managers, subcontractors and architects. The District Detroit will ultimately account for a total economic impact of more than $2 billion and create more than 12,500 construction and construction-related jobs in addition to 1,100 permanent jobs.
About The District Detroit
The District Detroit is one of the largest sports and entertainment developments in the country. Located in the heart of Detroit, this 50-block, mixed-use development led by the Ilitch organization unites eight world-class theaters, five neighborhoods and four professional sports venues in one vibrant, walkable destination for people who want to live, work and play in an exciting urban environment. Home to the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Pistons and Detroit Lions—The District Detroit represents the greatest density of professional sports teams in one downtown core in the country.