Local News

Milestone Crossed for Irving Convention Center

IrvingWeekly Staff

| Published

March 6, 2010

On Friday, Feb. 19, Austin Commercial hosted a topping out celebration of the new Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas at the convention center site.

The topping out celebration marked the completion of the steel structure of the center and was highlighted by the placing of the last beam on the building. Austin Commercial hosted a luncheon for the celebration, which included the placement of an evergreen tree on the top of the structure to symbolize growth and good luck.

A topping out ceremony is designed to commemorate the completion of a building’s structure and represents one of the construction industry’s oldest customs. Tradition has it that the completing beam is painted white and signed by every member of the construction crew. Today, that tradition is continued most commonly on completed structures such as skyscrapers and bridges.

With a bold architectural design and classic interior finishes, typically limited to high-end hotels and conference centers, the new Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, marks the future of innovative meetings, events and entertainment. The facility features 50,000 square feet of column-free exhibition space, ballrooms and 20,000 square feet of break-out space in 20 meeting rooms.

The Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas is scheduled to open in late 2010 and is the first phase to a new entertainment district in Las Colinas. Plans are currently underway to expand and build a 6,000-person capacity performance venue, restaurants and retail shops. The central location and bold, yet practical structure of the new facility makes it a prime location to add a new twist on leisure events, as well as business conferences and trade shows; it’s only the beginning of what will be known within the industry as the premier location for special events.