The construction team places the final beam on the structure.

The Austin Community College District is celebrating a milestone in the construction of its new Elgin Campus. On June 1, ACC and Skanska USA, the construction manager, marked the project’s “topping out,” signifying the safe and successful completion of the facility’s main framework.

Prior to installation, the final steel beam was signed by the construction team, architects, engineers, and ACC staff. The construction team placed a small tree atop the beam, the traditional symbol of a topping out accomplishment.

“Thanks to the hard work of our design, construction, and facilities teams, we are on time and on budget,” says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC president/CEO. “We look forward to opening Elgin Campus and extending new opportunities to residents.”

Mike and Beth Walterscheidt of Evergreen Farms Christmas Trees in Elgin donated the tree used in the topping out. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed a lunch provided by Southside Market and Barbeque. Renderings of the campus design, by project architect O’Connell Robertson, were on display.

A worker signs the final beam before its installation.

“The Elgin Campus has been a fantastic partnership between Skanska and ACC,” says Scott Cannon, senior vice president at Skanska. “Skanska is committed to constructing state-of-the-art educational facilities and is proud to be closely associated with ACC. We look forward to our continued work with the college.”

The 98-acre Elgin Campus site, located at Highway 290 and County Line Road, is scheduled to open in August 2013. It will be the first college campus in Bastrop County.

The three-story, 65,000-square-foot building will include classrooms, labs, student services (welcome center, admissions and records, financial aid, advising and counseling, and disability services), library and media center, a Student Life office, student commons area, and more.

Elgin ISD residents chose to join the ACC District in 2010, with 61 percent voting for annexation. Elgin residents already have convenient access to ACC classes through the Elgin Center, which opened last year at 902 W. Second St. For registration information and campus construction updates, visit austincc.edu/elgin.