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Concrete Pours Mark Milestone in Central Library Transformation Project

Library News & Announcements RSS Feed September 8, 2005

Crews at the Central Library construction site downtown pour the first layers of concrete for the six-story tower, the major part of the Library's expansion project

Crews at the Central Library construction site downtown pour the first layers of concrete for the six-story tower, the major part of the Library's expansion project.

Substantial progress is taking place at the Central Library transformation project downtown as a number of September activities are helping to bring the initial stages of exterior construction nearer to completion.

Crews are finalizing the first of a number of major concrete pours on the upper five levels of the six-story tower that comprises the major portion of the Library's new expansion. With the first floor serving as the base of the tower as well as the roof of the underground parking facility, a series of four separate pours totaling approximately 500 cubic yards of concrete will be required to fill each of the five remaining floors of the project. Each floor measures over 30-thousand square feet.

The work is being performed by Hagerman Construction Corporation of Indianapolis, whose crews will spend about one week to pour for each floor, with at least one week in between to prepare each floor for upcoming pours. Preparation involves the installation of mechanical pipe sleeves, welded wire fabric reinforcement, electrical conduits and welded perimeter closure angles.

Concrete pours are expected to be completed by the end of December.

In mid-September, steel construction will begin on the four-story Atrium, which will connect the existing 1917 Cret Building with the new tower. Steel construction on the 12-thousand-square-foot Atrium is expected to be completed this winter.

Meanwhile, steel construction continues on the 190-thousand-square-foot tower. The final beam of steel will be raised atop the structure on Friday, September 30. The public is invited at 2 p.m. on that day to a special "Topping Out Event" at the site, located on E. 9th Street between Meridian and Pennsylvania Streets.

The public also is invited to be a part of this milestone event on Thursday, September 29 as the final beam will be presented at four branch libraries as well as the City Market downtown where individuals may sign the beam. The beam will be presented from 8:30 - 9 a.m. at the East Thirty-Eighth Street Branch, 5420 E. 38th Street; from 9:30 - 10 a.m. at the Glendale Branch, 6101 N. Keystone Avenue; from 10:30 - 11 a.m. at the College Avenue Branch, 4180 N. College Avenue; from 11:30 a.m. - 12 noon at the City Market, 222 E. Market Street; and from 1 - 1:30 p.m. at the Shelby Branch, 2502 Shelby Street. Those attending the "Topping Out Event" at the Central Library construction site on September 30 will be able to sign the beam from 1:30 - 1:50 p.m.