The final steel beam will be laid on the first building on the CSU Spur campus in Denver on Feb. 26, and all are invited to sign the beam and take a tour of the construction site.
The Vida building, which will open in January 2022, is one of three Colorado State University buildings at the campus and part of the future National Western Center. The 114,000 sq. ft. building is focused on animal and human health and will allow the public to see animal health care in action, as CSU veterinary students and faculty provide service to the community.
The CSU Spur campus is focused on providing unique education opportunities – a place where K-12 students and families will find inspiration, researchers can collaborate on important issues, professionals can hold meetings and events, and students from all three CSU System institutions (the flagship in Fort Collins, CSU Pueblo, and CSU Global) can connect with real-life experiences that complement their degree programs.
“Topping Out” details
- Beam signing: daylight hours Feb. 1-17
- Construction tours: selected dates and times
- Ceremony: Feb. 26 via Facebook Live
Registration is required for beam signing and tours.
“We are so excited about the new Vida building in Denver,” said Dr. Mark Stetter, dean of the CSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “We know the public is very interested in animals and their health. This animal hospital will provide a dynamic space for us to share veterinary medicine with the public. Guests can be immersed in the activity of an active animal health complex. This state-of-the-art facility will be a wonderful place to provide veterinary care for the animals of Colorado and for our veterinary students learn.”
Historic moment for Spur
The “topping out” – lifting the final steel beam into place on a building – is a significant construction milestone. Under usual circumstances, it is commemorated with a public celebration and signing of the beam prior to placement.
In the current public health climate, the placement of the beam will be broadcast and celebrated on CSU Spur’s Facebook page via Facebook Live at 11 a.m. on Feb. 26. In addition, small groups are welcome to the site for tours of the three CSU Spur construction plots.
Artist’s conception of the Vida building on the CSU Spur campus at the National Western Center in Denver. Images courtesy Anderson Mason Dale
Programs housed in the Vida building will include:
Dumb Friends League Solutions Veterinary Hospital
The donor-subsidized clinic will assist with keeping pets with their families. Surgeries will be performed behind glass and visible to the public as a learning opportunity, and visitors will be able to interact with veterinary staff.
“This partnership between Colorado State University and the Dumb Friends League represents an extraordinary opportunity to alleviate suffering in pets while connecting with people who represent a wealth of diversity,” said Dr. Apryl Steele, president and CEO of Dumb Friends League. “Pets provide critical mental, emotional, and physical support to their people. We are thrilled to be there when these very pets experience illness and injuries that their family cannot afford to treat. By performing surgeries and exams in view of the public, we hope to inspire interest in veterinary medicine and other STEM careers for hundreds of thousands of people.”
Temple Grandin Equine Center
The Fort Collins-based center will open a second location at CSU Spur’s Vida building to provide equine-assisted activities and therapies to a diverse audience.
“CSU is bringing the healing power of horses right to the heart of Denver,” said Adam Daurio, director of administration and outreach. “More specifically, the Temple Grandin Equine Center is so honored to bring an animal-assisted therapy program to the National Western Center and help make the CSU Spur Campus a place where individuals with special challenges can participate in a plethora of effective therapies and activities. The audiences that range from school-aged youth and military veterans to seniors in living assisted facilities will now be within minutes of some of the country’s most innovative recreational therapies.”
“By making real-life animal health procedures accessible to the public, we know that Vida will spark a lifetime of interest in the relationship between animals, humans and the planet that we all share,” Stetter said.
About CSU Spur
In 2022, the CSU System will open CSU Spur, where innovative ideas and unforgettable experiences come to life at the future National Western Center in north Denver. CSU Spur’s three buildings will ignite and fuel new ideas around water, food and health and their impact on our lives and our world. Spur is where learning is open and accessible to all. Where researchers tackle the world’s most pressing problems around water, food and health. Where art and culture challenge and surround you. Where rural and urban, local and global intersect. Learn more at csuspur.org.
