Final beam up at new Seidman Center

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Construction crews raised the final beam Tuesday for a new university building in downtown Grand Rapids.

Grand Valley State University's L. William Seidman Center is expected to be completed next spring. The new building on Front Street will be the home of the Seidman College of Business once it is done.

Before the beam was raised, GVSU students, faculty and staff from the Seidman College of Business had an opportunity to sign the beam in Grand Valley's Mt. Vernon parking lot from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

GVSU President Thomas J. Haas and Seidman College of Business Dean H. James Williams signed the beam at 1:30 p.m., just before the beam was raised.

"You are going to be able to see this north and south along the S-curve. It will rise up and be very distinctive. It was our feeling that for Bill Siedman, we needed and iconic building and that is what this will wind up being," said Haas.

The project costs $40 million and will  be the university's 16th LEED-certified building.