Mayor Gavin Buckley and DPW Director David Jarrell from the City of Annapolis joined the construction crew from Whiting Turner for a “Topping Out” ceremony at the Hillman Garage on Friday, February 3, 2023.
A Topping Out ceremony is a celebration of the vertical completion of a structure, a significant project milestone. The Hillman Garage Topping Out celebrates the completion of the concrete structure for the new garage. All five levels of the garage are now in place. With completion of the structural work, the focus of the construction will shift to finishes, electrical, and mechanical work.
Hillman Garage closed in April 2022 for a 14-month rebuild. In the initial stages, the old garage was demolished, and all debris was removed from the site. Next, site grading was completed. Starting in late August 2022, a caravan of concrete trucks came to the site once (or twice) per week to erect the structure for the garage’s five floors.
Remaining work on the project, to be completed by the garage re-opening in June 2023, includes the brick exterior, masonry, electrical, mechanical, signage, smart technology, EV charging infrastructure, landscaping and more.
“Every day when I’ve come into City Hall, I’ve watched the garage go up,” said Mayor Gavin Buckley. “While I recognize this hasn’t been easy on our downtown residents and businesses, we all see and feel the daily progress. The Topping Out ceremony is a celebration of the hard work of the construction team, but it also represents a light at the end of the tunnel for those who miss the convenience of the downtown garage. We thank you for hanging in there with us. We’re getting there!”
Traditionally, a flag and an evergreen tree is brought to the highest point of the construction site to symbolize the topping out. Friday’s cold and windy weather moved the celebration to the first floor of the new structure. The ceremonial white beam was presented and signed by everyone who played a role in the project – from the Mayor and City staff to members of the construction team.
