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Home | Construction News | Topping out at Center

Topping out at Center

Buddy Doebbler

10/31/2011 04:37:00 pm

Photo by Grant Miller L-R: Dr. R. Gerald Turner, president, SMU; former President George W. Bush; former First Lady Laura Bush; Adriana Martinez, student representative; SMU Board of Trustees and The Honorable Mark Langdale, president George W. Bush Foun

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DALLAS – President and Mrs. George W. Bush hosted media, guests and contractors on the site of the George W. Bush Presidential Center for a hardhat tour and “Topping Out” ceremony Oct. 3. The ceremony provided the first and only look at the construction of the Bush Center in advance of the grand opening, which is expected in the spring of 2013. The Bush Center is America’s 13th presidential library complex.

“Our hope is that this will be a center of excellence not only to benefit SMU but Dallas, the United States and the rest of the world,” said former President George W. Bush. “I am looking forward to breaking bread with the fine members of the construction team and personally thanking each of them.”

Mrs. Bush participated in the “hard hat” tour explaining its unique and environmentally friendly construction and design.

“The building itself will have LEED Platinum status, partly due to the water retention and collection we will use to irrigate the land surrounding the building,” said former First Lady Laura Bush. “Local materials will be used on the exterior and interior of the building to help us achieve our LEED Platinum certification.”

The building’s architect, Robert A.M. Stern, also joined President and Mrs. Bush to discuss the contemporary and welcoming architecture that the buildings will have using the same Texas brick and limestone used throughout SMU’s campus, which he has described as one of our nation's most beautiful and architecturally coherent. He also further discussed the project’s goal of LEED Platinum certification, the highest green rating.

“Intended as an inviting and approachable building, the Bush Center is designed to express the dignity of the Presidency and President Bush's legacy as a Texan, an American, and a world statesman,” said Mr. Stern.

The building is being constructed by Manhattan Construction, which also built the Texas Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, named for the 41st President of the United States.

"Manhattan is thrilled to be celebrating this major milestone just 10 short months after breaking ground," said Bob Bowen, executive vice president of Manhattan Construction. "We are honored to build the structure that will serve as a hub for promoting universal freedom. Today, we congratulate the workers for their efforts on this project and look forward to starting the construction of the exterior envelope to assure that the interior development commences early 2012." –bd