Yet another mark of the University at Buffalo’s expansion into the downtown medical corridor went on display Wednesday with the installation of its logo on the new Main Street medical school building.
With the hands of construction workers, the power of a crane, and a few strong lifting straps, the University at Buffalo’s bright blue logo was hoisted 140 feet up the side of new Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on Main Street.
“It’s an impressive feeling to look at the outside of this building and see a sign on it and look at the progress from day one until now,” said Erik Dusel, Project Manager with LP Ciminelli – the company that has been managing construction of the school. “It’s been a great process.”
University at Buffalo Project Manager Jennifer Kuhn, described the installation of the sign as “a pinnacle moment in the construction” of the new medical school, which is set to open this October, on par with its planned $375 million price tag. That’s when medical school faculty, staff, and students currently working on UB’s South Campus will make the move downtown.
“Basically everything’s new in the building. New office furniture and new conference room tables, everything’s new,” said Kuhn. “So we just get to move them and their belongings, all their files or whatever. The furniture will stay. So it’s not that big of a move in that sense, but it’s a lot of people, a lot of building to fill.”
Dusel and his team worked with Grand Island-based ASI Signage during an eight month planning process. ASI Owner and President Bethany Bernatovicz said nothing about the design of the nearly 83 inch tall, 161.25 inch wide, 6.5 inch deep aluminum sign was standard.
“Everything’s custom,” said Bernatovicz. “You’re working on custom fabrication for strength, custom fabrication for the lighting and, more importantly, the attachment to the building.”
The fabrication at ASI took approximately six weeks to complete and, according to Bernatovicz, it’s made to last.
“That sign’s going to be up there for as long as they want it to be up there.”
