Florida Construction News staff writer
Construction of Florida Polytechnic University’s third student residential building in Lakeland reached a significant milestone this week.
The University held a “topping out” ceremony at the construction site on Tuesday, to celebrate, with attendees signing the final steel beam of the structure before workers fastened it into place at the top of Residence Hall III.The next phase of the project will begin with the installation of exterior skin, followed by the building’s interior features. Construction is expected to be completed by the beginning of the fall 2024 semester at a cost of $42 million.
The student residential facility is being built by Clancy & Theys.
“It is always a great milestone in any project to achieve the topping out of the structure, in part by the strong team of subcontractors and suppliers we have,” said Bill Zecher, vice president and Florida division manager of Clancy & Theys. “We are well on our way with the interior construction of the project and are looking forward to successful completion this summer.
“It will be an exciting time to be able to welcome the students this August into their new home and we are extremely grateful for having the opportunity to be a part of that.”
The five-story, 137,000-square-foot dormitory will house 430 beds and will include multiple lounges, study spaces, a large multipurpose room, offices, and define an interior courtyard with the existing housing phases I and II.
Capstone Management Partners will oversee operations and maintenance services for the upcoming dormitory.
“As this project has risen out of the ground and reaches this critical construction milestone, we want to thank Florida Polytechnic University for its trust and collaboration with Capstone and our talented design-build team,” said Walker May, executive vice-president of Capstone Development Partners. “We also want to express appreciation to the members of our design-build team for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to the successful design and delivery of this project, which allowed us to reach this milestone on schedule and tracking within the established budget.
“Capstone looks forward to the opening of this new student housing community later this summer, and to welcoming hundreds of additional students to experience on-campus living each year at Florida Poly.”
The building was designed by Design Collective, an architectural firm with ample experience creating student-oriented communities and engaging facilities for college campuses.
“Our design team is honored to be a part of the evolution of Florida Poly’s extraordinary campus as it continues to grow and support its students,” said Tom Zeigenfuss, AIA, NCARB, principal at Design Collective. “The design is intended to integrate and expand upon the existing housing aesthetic and provide active ground floor uses that will serve all members of the campus community.
“This new project will add to the variety of housing options, cultivate a culture of discourse and learning, and ultimately enhance that sense of ‘home’ that is so important to the success of all great campuses.”