Mortenson Construction Tops Off 1800 Larimer

Mortenson Construction is pleased to announce that it has placed the final structural beam for the 1800 Larimer office building, downtown Denver’s first LEED Platinum high-rise.  The event took place during a recent topping-off ceremony, attended by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Metro Economic Development Council’s Tom Clark, as well as Dick Kelly, Chairman and CEO of Xcel Energy (the primary tenant for 1800 Larimer), Don Slack, Managing Director of Development for Westfield Company, and Bob Hansen, Vice President and General Manager of Mortenson Construction. 

“We’re very pleased to mark this significant event during the construction of 1800 Larimer, and to know we’re ahead of schedule and on budget for the first LEED Platinum building in Denver” said Hansen.  “Mortenson takes a great deal of pride in understanding the vision of our customers, and delivering buildings that exceed their expectations.  1800 Larimer is another example of the quality of our work, and our commitment to our customers’ and our company’s success.”

Mortenson was joined by the project’s developer, Westfield Development Company, architect, RNL Design, and leasing company, Frederick Ross Company, during the ceremony, as well as the project’s subcontractors and other VIPs.  All of the attendees were invited to sign the final beam before it was hoisted into place, a topping-off tradition.  The beam was then lifted to the top of the 22 story office building and put into place atop the 500,000 square foot glass and steel building.  A major milestone in the construction process, the topping off ceremony marks the end of 14 and a half months of building structure construction and clears the way for work on the exterior envelope and interior of 1800 Larimer to be completed. Installation of the building's facade and windows is well under way and scheduled for completion by December.  The building is scheduled to begin welcoming tenants in April 2010.

The state-of-the-art LEED Platinum high-rise in Denver’s Central Business District at 18th and Larimer embodies the highest environmental standards and delivers an office environment and amenity package that offers the first of its kind in vision and innovation advancements in Denver.

The “Steel Topping Off Ceremony” is a construction industry tradition in which the last steel beam of the structure is put into place. Performed by installing a final beam to which a flag and tree are attached, the ritual is thought to have originated in ancient times to drive out evil spirits that may occupy a new structure. The tree tradition is traced to Scandinavians who affixed a tree to the top of a building to honor the forest god, thanking him for his wood and blessing.