Approximately one year away from Opening day in Little Havana, the New Marlins Ballpark is reaching another milestone, the installation of the last major structural piece of steel to be installed on the retractable roof. Media is invited to the Topping Out Ceremony, which will be held on Friday, March 25, 2011 at 9:45 A.M. to celebrate this historic moment. The project remains on-time, on-budget and continues to exceed all local employment participation goals. (Media is advised to arrive no later than 9:30 A.M. and must park on 1694 NW 5 Street, Miami (Parking entrance is at the corner of NW 17 Avenue and NW 5th Street).
The topping out ceremony at the Marlins Ballpark will commemorate the last major structural piece of steel of the retractable roof. The steel piece will be signed by over 800 construction workers as well as Marlins Executives, Miami Dade County officials, and City of Miami officials.
After this steel beam is installed, the remaining infill steel will be added prior to decking the center panel of the retractable roof. The last steel beam weighs approximately 6,845 pounds and will measure approximately 38 feet long. The retractable roof is composed of 11,000 pieces of steel held together by welds and over 115,240 bolts. In all, the retractable roof weighs approximately 7,500 tons.
This 1000-year-old topping out tradition started in Scandinavia when workers would place an evergreen tree on the highest structural element of construction as a symbol of the workers’ ‘respect for nature’s contribution to the building process.’ This tradition continues as a sign of good faith and well wishes for the building and its inhabitants. The traditional topping out tree will be placed on the last piece of steel at the New Marlins Ballpark.
Media attending will have exclusive access to witness the Topping Out Ceremony. Marlins Executives will be available for interviews.
Important: All members of the media must wear pants and boots to take the tour. Hard hats and reflector vests will be provided. Please confirm your attendance with Carolina Perrina, cperrina@marlins.com.