The Cougar Village II project team celebrated a milestone in the construction of the new residential facility by holding a topping out ceremony on Jan. 24 at the project site.

"Topping Out" is a construction tradition that marks the achievement of placing the final topmost board or beam, or in the case of a concrete structure like Cougar Village II, the last concrete roof deck pour. It is an opportunity to thank the many workers for their efforts.

A hearty sit-down barbecue lunch was served to approximately 225 people who have contributed to the project. In attendance were Dr. Carl Carlucci and Emily Messa from Administration and Finance; Jonathan Thurston, John Posch and Dean Ruck from Facilities Planning and Construction; Don Yackley and other Student Housing and staff; as well as representatives from the general contractor Austin Commercial and project architect KSQ / Brave.

Cougar Village II will open this fall.