Suffolk Construction Celebrates Topping Out at University of Miami Rosenstiel Project

MIAMI, Fla. — Suffolk Construction, the University of Miami and community leaders recently gathered to celebrate the milestone topping out ceremony for the new Marine Technology Life Sciences Seawater Complex. Once completed, the two-building complex will provide oceanographers, meteorologists, marine physicists and engineers the opportunity to use unique, state-of-the-art equipment for their research and studies. An open atrium will connect the two buildings: The Surge-Structure ATMOSPHERE interaction research laboratory and the Marine Life Sciences Center. This new facility will establish the University of Miami as the only university in the world to house a wind-wave-storm surge simulator, capable of generating Category 5 hurricane force winds in a 3-D test environment, as well as the National Resource for Aplysia, where scientists will culture and study sea hares.

Taking part in the longstanding tradition, Dago Diaz, vice president of educations for Suffolk Construction, reflected on the progress of the project to date, expressing his excitement to be able to work with the University of Miami, the city and the surrounding community.

University of Miami Professor Dr. Schmale personally thanked Suffolk Construction and all of the workers for their diligence and dedication to see this project through to its completion date in late 2013. He also reflected on the early beginnings of the vision for this one-of-a-kind building.

Following the speakers, attendees took the opportunity to personally sign the beam, which was then lowered into place with a traditional evergreen tree. More than 100 people attended the ceremony including the Suffolk Construction site team, local subcontractors, researchers and faculty from the University of Miami. The ceremony was followed by a barbeque lunch and a raffle for the workers.

The 81,000-square-foot complex broke ground in 2012 and will be used to study the relationship between the oceans and human health, including the effects of harmful algal blooms and pharmaceuticals discharged into the oceans. Funded in part through a $15-million U.S. Department of Commerce American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant awarded by the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the project will be complete in late 2013.