Newsroom

Final Steel Beam Raised at Lakeland Pavilion
Jun 25, 2018

(ST. JOSEPH) – Lakeland Health and Turner Construction recently celebrated an important milestone in the $160 million renovation project at Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph by raising the final steel beam on top of the new Pavilion. Upon completion of the structure, an evergreen was hoisted in celebration – a Scandinavian custom which dates back more than 1,000 years. An American flag and a Lakeland Health flag were also placed atop the structure.

“This ‘Topping Off’ is a major milestone for Lakeland, the Michiana community, and patient care in the region,” said Pete Woeste, Construction Executive with Turner Construction. “The evergreen tree symbolizes that the job went well and wishes good luck for the occupants. The flag suggests patriotism for the American Dream. As such, when the ‘Topping Off’ beam rises, it offers a link to our heroic past.”

Over the last 15 to 18 months, more than 800 individuals have spent about 80 accumulative years of time to prepare and dig a giant hole, fill the hole with 11 million pounds of structural concrete, and connect 6,400 pieces of structural steel with 33,000 bolts. Over the coming weeks tan precast concrete panels will be placed around the outside of the steel structure by a giant crane – the largest of those panels weighing 48,000 pounds.

“With the project about half way complete, we look forward to the countless friends and neighbors that will be blessed by a more comfortable, relaxing, accessible, inspiring place to provide and receive health care,” said Loren B. Hamel, President & CEO, Lakeland Health.

For continued updates on the project, including architectural animations, visit www.lakelandhealth.org/pavilion. To learn more about how you can support the project, contact the Lakeland Health Foundations at (269) 927-5143 or visit www.lakelandhealthfoundations.org