ARLINGTON, VA, Nov. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Friday, November 3, George Mason University, development consortium Mason Innovation Partners, and contractor Clark Construction Group brought together university researchers, faculty, staff, industry leaders, and project partners to commemorate the achievement of a major construction milestone – the building’s structural topping out. The day-long celebration began with an event highlighting the research and innovation that will take place in the building and ended with a ceremony to recognize the contributions of the workforce that have been instrumental in bringing Fuse at Mason Square to life.
A new, 345,000-square-foot hub for digital innovation, Fuse will be the catalyst for innovators, researchers, and entrepreneurs to collide, interact, and thrive. By integrating collaborative labs, workspaces, and proactive and curated programming, Fuse will promote the exchange of new ideas and the transfer of technology between Mason’s researchers, students, and industry partners to accelerate the development of digital innovation.
Fuse at Mason Square officially broke ground in April 2022. Over the last year and a half, craftworkers have installed 2,200 tons of rebar and placed more than 20,000 cubic yards of concrete to form the building’s structure. Fuse is slated to open in summer 2024.
Mason Innovation Partners is a consortium that includes Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate as developer and investor, Harrison Street as a capital partner, and other key project development members, including Page as architect and Sandy Spring Bank as lender.
"George Mason University is the largest and most diverse institution in the state of Virginia,” Mason President Gregory Washington said. “Countless generations of students will be educated here in the technologies of the future and they will go out and impact the world. This significant impact would not be possible without the hard work that you are putting in today.”
The topping-out ceremony was held in the building’s future conference and convening space on the ground floor. During the event, craftworkers were treated to lunch from nearby restaurant Pollo Rico and custom keepsake T-shirts, as well as a raffle with prizes donated by project stakeholders.
“This milestone achievement is a direct result of the dedication and commitment from each of our project partners and the trade workers on site,” said Ryan Knox, Project Executive with Clark Construction. “The contributions to drive this project forward on schedule, while keeping safety and quality top-of-mind, is evident in the craftsmanship and progress of a facility that will be a flagship space for this university.”
With less than a year left until completion, Fuse at Mason Square is nearing peak construction. Currently, 260 craftworkers are operating on-site each day, collectively putting in place more than $2 million of work each week. Now that the concrete structure is complete, workers will begin to install over 450 precast concrete panels to create the building’s iconic façade.
The development and construction team has focused on providing opportunities to small-, minority-, and women-owned (SWaM) businesses throughout the project. To date, Clark has
awarded 39 percent of the project’s construction subcontracts to SWaM businesses, and the project is on track to exceed all participation goals.
“We are so grateful for each of the craftworkers and partners that have contributed their talents to create the unique space that will enable Virginia’s workforce and the tech economy to thrive,” said Brian Naumick, Managing Director at Edgemoor. “Fuse directly addresses the tech industry’s demand to co-locate the talent pipeline, research, and industry, and we’re thrilled to bring the building to life with our first industry partners and many more to come.”
For more information about leasing space in the building, visit fuseatmasonsquare.com.
ABOUT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and sustainability. Learn more at www.gmu.edu.
ABOUT MASON INNOVATION PARTNERS
Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate Mason Innovation Partners is led by Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate, an award-winning leader in the development, financing, leasing, operations, and activation of public buildings, infrastructure, and commercial real estate, with over $4.6 billion of projects delivered or under development, including several partnerships with higher education institutions. Edgemoor’s tailored development solutions are based on the key principles of partnering with communities and creating building environments where end users thrive. Edgemoor was recognized as a Profiles in Diversity Journal Top 10 Innovation in Diversity for 2020 Award Winner and as P3 Bulletin’s 2019 Developer of the Year. Learn more at www.edgemoor.com.
Harrison Street Harrison Street is one of the leading investment management firms exclusively focused on alternative real assets. Since inception in 2005, the Firm has created a series of differentiated
investment solutions focused on demographic-driven, needs-based assets. The Firm has invested across senior housing, student housing, healthcare delivery, life sciences and storage real estate as well as social and utility infrastructure. Headquartered in Chicago and London, with offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia, the Firm has more than 280-employees and approximately $56 billion in assets under management. (Assets under management ("AUM") reflects AUM for the Firm’s investment advisory and asset management clients, and is inclusive of the Firm’s regulatory AUM reported in its Form ADV.) Clients of the Firm include a global institutional investor base domiciled in North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Harrison Street was awarded Best Places to Work by Pensions & Investments for eight years (2014-2020, 2022) and has won multiple awards from PERE, including five for the 2022 Awards: Alternatives Investor of the Year – Global, Industry Figure of the Year- Global, Residential Investor of the Year – Global, Data Centers Investor of the Year – Global, and Residential Investor of the Year- North America. For more information, please visit
www.harrisonst.com.
ABOUT CLARK CONSTRUCTION GROUP
Clark Construction Group is one of the largest building and infrastructure companies in the United States. Our portfolio spans every major building market, from public to private, corporate to cultural, education to entertainment, and the infrastructure connecting it all – power, transit, water, and roadways. Since 1906, we’ve been delighting and delivering value to our clients and project partners, providing diverse opportunities for our team, and strengthening the communities where we live. With offices strategically located across the country, we pride ourselves on being a local builder with national reach. To learn more, visit www.clarkconstruction.com.
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