PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Brown University will host a topping-off ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. for the Building for Environmental Research and Teaching, a $35-million renovation of the building formerly known as Hunter Laboratory.

The occasion will also mark the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Brown and Building Futures Rhode Island, a nonprofit organization that helps prepare low-income men and women in urban areas for careers in commercial construction. The agreement will help create more job opportunities for Building Futures graduates on construction projects at Brown.

Brown officials, Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, and others will make brief remarks. The final structural beam, which will be signed by all attendees, will be hoisted into place.

When completed, Brown’s Building for Environmental Research and Teaching will be a hub for cross-disciplinary teaching, research, and engagement in the environmental sciences, including a new remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems lab. A key feature of the project is relocation of the University’s 4,000 square-foot greenhouse facility to the building’s top level. The project is scheduled for completion in October 2013.

Who
Russell Carey, executive vice president for planning and policy, Brown University
Andrew Cortés, executive director, Building Futures
John Sinnott, vice president and Rhode Island district manager, Gilbane Building Co.
Angel Taveras, mayor of Providence

What
Topping-off ceremony for the Building for Environmental Research and Teaching

Where
89 Waterman St., between Thayer and Brown streets

When
Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013, at 10:30 a.m.