September 7, 2006

What
Equipped with a 293-foot-long boom and a 950-ton capacity, the largest crane on the West Coast will be raising the first set of wall panels of the new Children's Museum in downtown San Diego on Monday. While most cranes can typically handle loads up to 15 tons, this behemoth will have no problem lifting the largest 52 x 20 foot, 80-ton wall panels of the new Museum structure.

Where
The construction site at 200 West Island Avenue. The best vantage point is the southwest corner of Union Street.

When
The first wall will go up Monday, September 11, at 11am. Wall raisings will continue until Thursday but timings need to be confirmed in advance.

Why
After much anticipation, vertical construction is beginning on the new $25 million Children’s Museum facility. As the first “green” building in downtown San Diego, the environmentally friendly, modern structure is made from recycled building materials and will feature water-saving devices, natural day lighting and convection cooling.

Who
David Weigel, project manager for Erickson-Hall Construction, will be on site to answer questions.

Visuals
The massive crane stretching 200 feet across West Island Avenue to raise the northern walls of the 50,000-square-foot facility.