Harley-Davidson museum reaches construction milestone May 4, 2007 MILWAUKEE, WI
-- Construction workers erected the last steel beam Friday morning for the Harley-Davidson Inc. motorcycle museum under construction in the Menomonee Valley. Harley-Davidson marked the milestone with an event at the construction site near South Sixth and West Canal streets.
During the ceremony, a crane lifted the beam up to two construction workers positioned 80 feet above ground level, marking the museum's highest point. Three buildings totaling about 130,000 square feet currently are under construction on the 20-acre site. "This is a really exciting and important milestone," museum director Stacey Schiesl said. "We're so happy to be at this point in the project." Although the company hasn't given any firm date for the completion of the project, it's expected that the museum will be completed some time in 2008. That year represents the company's 105th anniversary. Harley-Davidson broke ground on the $75 million project in June 2006. In all, 1,300 tons of steel have been erected at the site, Schiesl said. An outer wall of the museum that features hand-cut bricks that spell out "Harley-Davidson" also has been completed. An evergreen tree was anchored to the last steel beam as part of the "topping off" ceremony, which included elements of a Scandanavian tradition that dates back more than 1,000 years, Schiesl said. The tradition is said to have begun as a way to appease the tree-dwelling spirits that had been displaced because of construction. The ceremony has morphed over time and the tree has come to symbolize growth and good luck. Workers also attached an American flag to the beam. "It wasn't all that long ago we were standing here for the ground breaking," Harley-Davidson president and chief executive officer James Ziemer said. Progress in the construction shows that Harley-Davidson has overcome the "speed bumps" it experienced in deciding where to locate the museum. "This, by far, is the best location," Ziemer said. "It was destiny that took us here."
-- Construction workers erected the last steel beam Friday morning for the Harley-Davidson Inc. motorcycle museum under construction in the Menomonee Valley. Harley-Davidson marked the milestone with an event at the construction site near South Sixth and West Canal streets.
During the ceremony, a crane lifted the beam up to two construction workers positioned 80 feet above ground level, marking the museum's highest point. Three buildings totaling about 130,000 square feet currently are under construction on the 20-acre site. "This is a really exciting and important milestone," museum director Stacey Schiesl said. "We're so happy to be at this point in the project." Although the company hasn't given any firm date for the completion of the project, it's expected that the museum will be completed some time in 2008. That year represents the company's 105th anniversary. Harley-Davidson broke ground on the $75 million project in June 2006. In all, 1,300 tons of steel have been erected at the site, Schiesl said. An outer wall of the museum that features hand-cut bricks that spell out "Harley-Davidson" also has been completed. An evergreen tree was anchored to the last steel beam as part of the "topping off" ceremony, which included elements of a Scandanavian tradition that dates back more than 1,000 years, Schiesl said. The tradition is said to have begun as a way to appease the tree-dwelling spirits that had been displaced because of construction. The ceremony has morphed over time and the tree has come to symbolize growth and good luck. Workers also attached an American flag to the beam. "It wasn't all that long ago we were standing here for the ground breaking," Harley-Davidson president and chief executive officer James Ziemer said. Progress in the construction shows that Harley-Davidson has overcome the "speed bumps" it experienced in deciding where to locate the museum. "This, by far, is the best location," Ziemer said. "It was destiny that took us here."
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