BRIDGEPORT, CT — A project in Bridgeport, Connecticut, has been named a recipient in the annual Project of the Year awards by the Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA). One winner was selected in each of four categories based on the dollar amount of the erection contract. Honorable Mention awards were also given out. Categories are Class I up to $500,000; Class II $500,000 to $1 million; Class III $1-2.5 million; and Class IV over $2.5 million.

Chosen by an independent panel of judges, the winning companies received their awards for projects that were topped out in either 2019 or 2020.

“Erectors often work in close collaboration with other teams and trades, and sometimes the customer. Challenges frequently deal with logistics, crane selection and rigging methods, and execution of complicated connection plans,” said Alan Sears, SEAA Awards Committee Chairman. “We congratulate these companies for excellent delivery of these unique structural steel construction projects.”

The 2021 Project of the Year winner in the New England Construction area was: United Steel Inc., for Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, Connecticut (Class III for $1 million to $2.5 million).

Conversion of a dilapidated ballpark into an amphitheater is part of a larger economic redevelopment plan for the south side of Bridgeport. The joint venture between the City of Bridgeport and Harbor Yard Amphitheater in association with Live Nation Entertainment will house concerts, graduations, community events, and festivals. The hallmark of the building is a 125-foot-high tensile roof and 107-foot-high pavilion entrance, which is complemented by a 25-foot oculus. This structure required extensive planning and coordination utilizing three cranes working in unison on a tight site to install a 135-foot diameter trussed ring that supports a 60,000-pound cable-supported center mast and several cable-supported flying masts.