Crews Lift 80,000-Lb. Dome to Top of Co-Cathedral

A dome-topping ceremony signaled the end of major exterior construction for Houston's new Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, which is being built by Linbeck and is scheduled to open in fall 2007.

Sacred Space Takes Shape

Linbeck crews lift an 80,000-lb. dome to the top of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston. The dome topping signifies the completion of construction to the highest point of the cathedral. Linbeck began construction of the cathedral in May 2005 for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. (Photo by Hall Puckett.)

Linbeck crews recently lifted an 80,000-lb. dome to the top of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston, signifying the completion of the highest point of the structure. The cathedral is scheduled for completion in September 2007.

Following a construction update from Chuck Greco, Linbeck president and CEO, 400 people watched as a special crane placed the dome on top of the cathedral. Witnesses to the event included the Linbeck construction team, leaders of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, principals of architect Ziegler Cooper and local business leaders.

"The lifting of the dome is a key milestone in the construction of the cathedral," Greco said. "We are on target as we collaborate with many key players to ensure a cost-effective and timely completion of the cathedral, which will serve as a major gathering point not only for Houston's Catholic population, but for all Houstonians. As the cathedral takes shape you can see the vision of the archdiocese coming to life."

"Today we celebrate the progress of this important project for our community," said Archbishop Daniel DiNardo. "This new cathedral is important to our archdiocesan family in that it will provide us with a much-needed central place of worship for major religious events."

The new structure will serve the 1.3 million Catholics in the 10-county area that comprises the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. The archbishop said he hopes the cathedral will be a place for large ecumenical and interfaith programs along with civic events that serve the entire community.

The cruciform co-cathedral will be of a classic design, with the primary ceiling reaching more than 70 ft. in height. The building will feature a 114-ft. domed roof over the altar.

The 1,820-seat structure, at 1115 St. Joseph Parkway, is bound by San Jacinto, Fannin and Jefferson streets. City officials expect the new $40 million cathedral to be an integral part of the Main Street Project and the continued development of downtown Houston.

Linbeck began construction of the cathedral in May 2005 after working with the archdiocese for about five years to plan the massive project. Groundbreaking for the new cathedral was held in January 2005, and the first foundation was poured in May.

Samsung Plans to Expand in Austin

Gov. Rick Perry recently announced that Samsung, one of the world's leading high-tech corporations, will open a new semi-conductor facility in Austin. A $10.8 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund helped close the deal, which will ultimately create 900 high-paying jobs.

Perry said the announcement demonstrates that Texas is becoming a leader in emerging technology. Under the terms of the TEF agreement, Samsung will create 900 new jobs, including 300 on-site contractors.

Samsung currently employs 1,250 people in the Austin area. In 2003 Samsung launched a $500 million upgrade and expansion for its Austin chip plant. The new facility will manufacture semi-conductor chips.

"Texas will reap a tremendous return on its investment as the semiconductor community continues to grow, as paychecks are cashed and put back into our economy and as our tax base expands," Perry said. "This is further proof that the state's economic development efforts are working."

About 530,000 new jobs have been created in Texas since 2003. The Federal Reserve recently noted that the Texas economy is running the strongest it has since the boom years of the late 1990s.

Hillwood Builds in S. Dallas County

Dallas-based Hillwood is set to begin construction on the 113-acre Crossroads Trade Center business park in DeSoto on the west side of IH-35E just south of IH-20. The company plans to have pad sites ready for three buildings totaling 1.85 million sq. ft by the end of the third quarter of 2006, when the decision will be made whether to proceed with a speculative building.

"South Dallas County is an evolving market where future demand is difficult to predict," said Dan Tatsch, senior vice president of Hillwood Investment Properties. "Crossroads Trade Center is one of the best locations in the market. The next step there is for Hillwood to complete the site work in order to shorten the delivery time of a building, whether it's build-to-suit or speculative."