The legacy of the 41st President of the United States was celebrated recently during the topping out of the George H. W. Bush State Office Building at 1801 Congress Avenue in Austin with more than 300 people in attendance, including crews, and Commissioners from the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC), which manages real estate assets for the State of Texas. Side note: The morning of the event, the TFC awarded Flintco a separate $10.3 million deferred maintenance project – not a bad way to start the day!
The event program featured a speech by Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, who is the grandson of the building’s namesake. On a twist to the traditional topping out program, which included BBQ and door prizes for the crews, all were invited to sign a banner that was secured inside a time capsule along with business cards from attendees. The time capsule will be placed in a prominent location behind a wall in the building lobby and identified by a plaque with instructions for it to be opened in 100 years from the date of the event – May 7, 2121. The $205 million, 14-story, 1.25 million SF structure includes 603,000 SF of office and 1,665 parking spaces above ground and below grade and stands at the gateway to the reimagined Texas Capitol Complex. More than 20 State agencies will be tenants for the flagship building when it opens in 2022. Watch for a video of the event that we’ll be releasing soon!
1801 Congress by The Numbers
- 249,649 square feet of glass
- 7,200 tons of rebar
- 7 miles of granite
- 62,000 cubic yards of concrete
The Phase I, $581 million Capitol Complex project is a complete transformation of the seat of Texas Government, and it includes a second, smaller office building, central utility plant, and a pedestrian mall with five levels of underground parking, rivaling the National Mall in its grandeur, size, and amenities. Everything is bigger in Texas!