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Bucks 'top off' new arena at Thursday ceremony

Highest piece of steel now in place
Posted at 3:11 PM, Aug 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-24 18:52:10-04

An exciting milestone was reached Thursday at the new Bucks arena as the team held a “topping off” ceremony.

Some of the 850 construction workers who work on the project watched as the highest piece of steel was lifted and bolted into place above the seating bowl.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says the arena is part of an exciting boom in construction in the downtown area.

“This city is reinventing itself before our very eyes,"  he told the crowd. 

Bucks President Peter Feigin says the topping off ceremony is, in part, a show of gratitude to the construction workers.

The next step is to finish enclosing the arena, and that should be done sometime around Thanksgiving. Then the focus will turn to the interior of the building.

The project remains on time and on budget. About half the cost $250 million is being paid for with taxpayer money. The arena is set to be ready for the 2018-19 season.