Construction of the Salisbury Community Hub has reached a significant milestone with the highest point of the building reached today, April 2, 2019.
To mark the occasion a ‘topping out’ ceremony was held this morning, where the last steel beam of the construction was placed atop the structure – 17 metres above ground. The beam was signed by Salisbury Mayor Gillian Aldridge, OAM, Hansen Yuncken representatives and other people involved in the development.
The formality of the ‘topping out’ signifies the construction of any project reaching its highest point. The historic practice of ‘topping out’ can be traced back to a Scandinavian custom of placing a tree atop of the new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits displaced during construction. It is a sign that a construction project has reached its pinnacle.
“It’s such an exciting time for the people of Salisbury. Each day we watch this amazing building grow before our eyes,” said the Mayor Aldridge.
“This has been a vision for our community for a very long time and to see it come together this year as the construction ramped up has been thrilling,” Mayor Aldridge said.
The final stages of the pouring of concrete for the four levels and steel roof framing have been completed, with the roofing, façade, and the internal fit-out now the focus.
The $43.8m development is a key element in the overall revitalisation of the city centre, with the four-storey building to feature an information and learning centre, flexible spaces for the community to meet and gather, and Council’s administration centre. The Salisbury Community Hub will open later this year.
The Salisbury Community Hub showcases Council’s vision of building a flourishing city with opportunity for all, and to drive economic development in the region through the creation of benefits for the people who live and work in and visit the City.
To this end the City of Salisbury set targets for labour and materials to be sourced from the northern region which was part of the agreement between Council and construction partner Hansen Yuncken. To date 67 per cent of the labour on site is from workers who live in the northern suburbs with 34 per cent of the materials sourced from local northern Adelaide firms.
