The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, which one day will be a dynamic addition to downtown Cincinnati's skyline, is gradually rising.

Ironworkers construct a support column at the Freedom Center. (Glenn Hartong photos) | ZOOM |

        Construction of the $65 million, 158,000-square-foot, three-building complex on Cincinnati's riverfront began June 10 and is only about 2 percent complete, according to Freedom Center officials.

        But once the first level of each of the three buildings is finished, “this thing will really, really take off,” said Evans Nwankwo, construction manager for the Freedom Center project and president of Cincinnati-based Megen Construction Co.

        Mr. Nwankwo said the pace of construction has been slower than it will be for the rest of the Freedom Center project because building supports and other structures must be fit on top of an underground garage. The $18 million garage was completed in June as part of The Banks project and will act as the Freedom Center's foundation.

The center is being built on top of a parking garage. | ZOOM |

        The garage was designed by a different firm than the designers for the Freedom Center, so matching the two structures has required a certain amount of problem-solving that won't be required in subsequent phases of construction, Mr. Nwankwo said.

        “There has been a lot of progress made so far, but (construction) will go even faster once we finish the first level,” he said.

        So far, most of the construction has involved erecting columns and shear walls, which will eventually support the floors of the Freedom Center. The columns and shear walls required for the first floor of the three-story east building are already complete.

        Three quarters of the columns in the five-story central building have been completed, but construction has not yet begun on the circular shear wall that will house elevators and a grand staircase. The columns and shear walls that will support the west building haven't been erected yet, either.

        But “we are on time and under budget,” Mr. Nwankwo said, referring to the Freedom Center's scheduled 2003 opening and $45 million construction budget.

        To date, 50 workers have been on the job, and more than 250 construction workers will be participating on the project at the peak of construction activity.

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