Topping Out in Schenectady, NY

April 18, 2016

Construction progress on Rivers Casino at Mohawk Harbor hit a new milestone with the placement of the structure’s last steel beam, celebrated at a “topping out” event attended by Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy, Mary Cheeks of Rush Street Gaming, Dave Buick of the Galesi Group, other city officials and members of the development and construction management teams. The event took place just 20 weeks after construction began and marks the official handoff of work from the structural steel trades to the finish trades. An evergreen and an American flag on top of the final beam—part of the topping out tradition—represent continued project growth, a safe work environment and good luck for future occupants of the building.

DMA is providing ongoing project management oversight, on behalf of Rush Street Gaming, in collaboration with construction manager Norwood-LeChase. To date, the project has involved:

• 45,000 man-hours of construction, with 0 lost time due to accidents
• 6,000 cubic yards of concrete
• 1,200-plus tons of structural steel

Rivers Casino at Mohawk Harbor is slated to open in the first quarter of 2017 and feature a 51,000-square-foot gaming floor, a marketplace, a steakhouse, a sports and entertainment lounge, two bars, a spa, an event space and exterior terraces with views of the Mohawk River. An attached 163-key hotel will open in summer 2017.

READ MORE DETAILS:
'Topping off' ceremony completes casino framework