Brewers celebrate construction progress with "Topping Out" ceremony

MILWAUKEE -- Earlier this morning, the Milwaukee Brewers and Mortenson hosted a "Topping Out" ceremony to commemorate the last beam put in place on the top of the new Spring Training home of the Milwaukee Brewers in Phoenix, Arizona.
The final beam was signed by representatives of the Milwaukee Brewers, City of Phoenix, Mortenson and HKS and was lifted into place on top of what will be the brand new home clubhouse of the Brewers.
The ceremony recognized the achievement and celebrated a safe project site with zero injuries to date. The practice of a Topping Out ceremony dates back to the ancient Scandinavian religious rite of placing a tree atop a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits displaced in construction. Often, the tree is placed with flags and streamers tied to it.
"Today, we mark a significant milestone in the renovation and construction progress at Maryvale Baseball Park," said Brewers Chief Operating Officer Rick Schlesinger. "On behalf of the Brewers, I would like to thank Mortenson, the City of Phoenix, HKS, IFG and everybody else who has thus far helped make this project a success. The progress is visually stunning and we look forward to the next milestone when we cut the ribbon to open this state-of-the-art facility."
"Mortenson is proud to partner with the Brewers and the City of Phoenix, as well as all HKS and all of our trade partners on this project," said Ben Goetter, vice president and general manager at Mortenson. "The Topping Out is always a rewarding time to acknowledge all of the hard work, as well as recognize the team's commitment to safety on the project site. We look forward to seeing this ballpark continue to transform into an experience the entire community will enjoy come next spring."
FACTS & FIGURES

• 424 tons of fabricated steel have been used for the project
  
• 12,793 yards of concrete have been poured
  
• 19,288 man-hours have been worked to date
  
• 652 team members who have gone through orientation to make this project a success
  In November of 2017, the Phoenix City Council voted in favor of a plan to renovate Maryvale Baseball Park, which has served as the Spring Training home of the Milwaukee Brewers since 1998. The plan keeps the Club in Maryvale through at least the year 2042, the second-longest commitment in the Cactus League.
  Construction began in late March and will be substantially completed by the start of 2019 Spring Training.
  The Brewers are investing over $60 million in the construction phase of the program, and have assumed operation and maintenance (as well as related costs) of the facility. The city of Phoenix will allocate $2 million each year for the next five years for renovations, and the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority will contribute approximately $5.7 million.
  Maryvale Baseball Park opened in 1998. The facility is built on more than 60 acres of land donated by John F. Long Properties and is located off North 51st Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoenix, Arizona.
  Renderings created by project architects HKS may be accessed by clicking here. International Facilities Group is serving as Owner's Rep for the project.
  To see the construction progress of the new Spring Training home of the Brewers, fans can view time-lapse videos and a live stream of the site at Brewers.com/ConstructionCam. Fans are also encouraged to follow along on Twitter at @MaryvaleBP. Photos from today's event will be posted there as well.