USSA "beaming" with pride at COE construction site

PARK CITY, Utah — Steel erectors hoisted the final beam into place as construction on the USSA’s Center of Excellence facility entered a new phase on a sunny and hot Monday afternoon — quite a contrast to the cold and snowy conditions that confronted workers throughout a long winter.
    “We were able to erect the steel slightly ahead of schedule and that’s pretty impressive, especially with the long winter we had,” said project manager Heather Soderquist of Jacobsen Construction. “[Today] also kind of signifies a new section of the construction because once the structure is up a lot of other trades start — framers start, plumbers start, electricians start, and you really start seeing the building take shape.”
    Those were welcome words to a host of USSA brass, including CEO Bill Marolt and COO Dick Coe, who gathered for Monday’s “topping off” ceremony for the structure USSA is paying more than $20 million to build.
PARK CITY, Utah — Steel erectors hoisted the final beam into place as construction on the USSA’s Center of Excellence facility entered a new phase on a sunny and hot Monday afternoon — quite a contrast to the cold and snowy conditions that confronted workers throughout a long winter.
    “We were able to erect the steel slightly ahead of schedule and that’s pretty impressive, especially with the long winter we had,” said project manager Heather Soderquist of Jacobsen Construction. “[Today] also kind of signifies a new section of the construction because once the structure is up a lot of other trades start — framers start, plumbers start, electricians start, and you really start seeing the building take shape.”
    Those were welcome words to a host of USSA brass, including CEO Bill Marolt and COO Dick Coe, who gathered for Monday’s “topping off” ceremony for the structure USSA is paying more than $20 million to build.
    Marolt and Coe, who is overseeing construction of the project for USSA, joined a host of other employees of the organization, donors and friends in signing the last I-beam that was then erected into place above the first floor of the three-story structure.
    “A project like this doesn’t happen easily, as you all know,” Marolt said. “We’ve been working on this for about, believe it or not, close to 10 years. First, putting together the endowment, the money and the resources to build it. Second of all, finding the real estate, getting the donation of land and then, third of all, putting together a team that can make this happen.”
    Soderquist said a “topping off” ceremony is traditionally held to thank the construction workers for their efforts. She added that Park City’s cold, windy and snowy winter made for a few discouraging days for the erector crew but they persevered and kept the building on schedule to open next March.
    “To have the building in this place at this time is a tribute to everyone at Jacobsen,” Marolt said.
    USSA broke ground on the Center of Excellence last July, and Coe said that if construction remains on track the organization could begin moving in some material as soon as January. The concrete for the first floor of the building will be poured in the next week or so, Coe said, and by early to mid July a good portion of the exterior walls should be completed. The paint scheme will include shades of green and tan to match the landscape of the surrounding hills near the intersection of U.S. Highway 40 and State Highway 248.