The placement of the final steel beam in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s new, $84 million College of Business Administration building will be celebrated during a Topping Off Steel Ceremony at 4:10 p.m. April 15.

A topping off event is a building construction tradition that occurs when the last beam is placed atop a structure. The event signals the completion of a major phase in the construction process.

“By putting in place the final beam of our new College of Business Administration, we are not only changing the physical landscape of UNL but also continuing our momentum of building a world-class business college,” said Donde Plowman, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Dean of UNL’s College of Business Administration. “This building is built by alumni for future alumni – no state funds are used – and everyone involved should be proud of this milestone and this building.”

The event includes remarks from Plowman, Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Howard Hawks, University of Nebraska Regent and co-founder and senior adviser of Tenaska Capital Management.

Dignitaries, many of whom will attend the CBA Advisory Board Awards Luncheon earlier in the day, will sign the last steel girder prior to the program.

After the formal program, Hausmann Construction will raise the final steel beam in place. Refreshments will be served. The public may attend the ceremony by sending an RSVP to Laura Niles at lniles2@unl.edu.

Rik Barrera, assistant dean and chief operating officer of CBA, said building construction has progressed as planned.

“Hausmann has done a fantastic job of executing the plans laid out by Robert A.M. Stern Architects in New York and Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture of Omaha,” Barrera said. “We had some terrible weather at times, but if you look at the site now, it’s easy to see they haven’t missed a beat. That’s why this ceremony is so special.”

The 240,000-square-foot CBA building is the largest academic building project in recent history at UNL. The five-story facility will open prior to the fall 2017 semester.