Today, the last beam for the Sports and Entertainment Venue was lifted in place by the Barton Malow Company construction crews who are building the facility. Over the last couple of weeks hundreds of residents signed the beam at the Intimidator games and at Kannapolis City Hall.
City of Kannapolis and Kannapolis Intimidator officials watched the placement of the beam as part of the time-honored tradition called a Topping Out. The construction tradition, which started in Scandinavia includes an evergreen tree, a U.S. Flag and a City of Kannapolis Flag, being attached to the beam as it is lifted in place. The tradition celebrates the significance of the framework of the building being completed and is believed to bring good luck to a building. The beam was signed by the construction crews and hundreds of Kannapolis residents. The beam was placed in what will be a stairwell of the Sports and Entertainment Venue.
“This is another milestone in making this venue become a reality. We are indebted to the construction workers who are bringing this facility to life,” said Kannapolis Mayor Darrell Hinnant.
“Today’s milestone is huge in our industry. To place the highest piece of steel is a significant accomplishment,” said Len Moser, Barton Malow Vice President. “The tree placed on the beam signifies life for this exciting venue,” he added. “There have been tons of lives impacted by it already, and there is going to be a lot more moving forward. It’s an honor to work with the City, the team, and all of our partners to see the stadium come to life in the upcoming months.”
“What an amazing day to be able to see another important piece of the stadium completed. We look forward to playing ball here next year,” Andy Sandler, Chairman of Temerity Capital Partners, and owner of the Kannapolis Intimidators commented.
The venue will be the new home of the City’s Minor League Baseball Team – the Kannapolis Intimidators, an affiliate of the White Sox Major League Team. The venue will also have 6,000 square feet of banquet and meeting space that people can rent for conferences, meetings, and special events. It is designed as a public park with restrooms, includes a kids zone and will accommodate special events such as concerts.
The stadium will have a seating capacity of 4,930 with 3,218 of those being fixed seats. Other seating options will include luxury suites, a party deck, berm seating, premium dugout box seats, a picnic terrace, an outfield bar, and right field boxes.
The Sports & Entertainment Venue is the catalyst for the City’s Downtown Revitalization Project and has already resulted in commitments by private investors for adjacent mixed use developments totaling more than $60 million.
Construction will be completed by April 2020 in time for the start of the baseball season. For more information on the construction of the Sports and Entertainment Venue and the Downtown Revitalization Project visit
www.kannapolisnc.gov/revitalization.