KBE Building Corp., with regional offices in Norwalk, recently topped the STEM residence hall at University of Connecticut in Storrs it is building.
- Simon Etzel, senior vice president and principal of KBE Builders speaks during the topping off ceremony for the STEM residence hall on Sept. 14, 2015. Photo by Peter Morenus/UConn
The multi-story building will house those studying STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering and math. It has 210,000 square feet and will cost $79 million when complete.
KBE said “substantial completion” of the building is scheduled for summer 2016. The hall is seeking LEED Silver certification, designating it an energy miser.
In the week leading up to the ceremony, all project subcontractors were invited to sign the building”™s last two precast planks, KBE reported. During the ceremony, KBE staff members placed the final two planks, which were attached to an American flag, symbolizing pride, and a potted evergreen to symbolize the building metaphorically coming to life.
The STEM residence hall is part of the state’s Next Generation Connecticut initiative, promoted by Gov. Dannel Malloy, “designed to expand educational opportunities, research and innovation in the science, technology, engineering and math disciplines at the school during the next decade, with the overall goal of creating an infrastructure that supports Connecticut”™s most important industries, including high-tech manufacturing.”
