Today, American Builders 2017 celebrated a significant milestone on the Atlanta Braves’ SunTrust Park: the contractor has completed the new stadium’s structural concrete.

“The structural concrete is the backbone of the ballpark—it’s what holds everything together and allows for the exhilarating fan experience the Braves are creating with the aesthetics of SunTrust Park’s design,” said American Builders 2017 Project Director Chris Britton.

Surrounded by the massive stadium structure, workers enjoyed a special luncheon to recognize their hard work and perseverance that continue to keep the ballpark on schedule and within budget.

“This is an important milestone in the construction of SunTrust Park, as it means we are moving closer and closer to Opening Day 2017 when this beautiful ballpark will open to our fans," said Mike Plant, Atlanta Braves Executive Vice President of Business Operations. “The American Builders 2017 team and all of the contractors have worked incredibly hard to reach this point so quickly, and this moment is a testament to their dedication to this project. We are so thankful for all they have accomplished and congratulate them on this achievement.”

To date, the construction team has logged more than 845,000 man hours on the new ballpark.

“The SunTrust Park team has worked diligently to reach this milestone in just over two years since the announcement of this unprecedented project. I am proud of the progress we continue to make and excited about the possibilities this development presents to the future of Cobb County,” said Cobb County Chairman Tim Lee.

The project team honored the workers with an appreciation lunch, raffle prizes, and recognition for outstanding performers in safety and quality. Homer, the Braves’ mascot, was also on hand to congratulate the team on the project’s progress.

Additionally, Courtney Turner, a representative of Kids’ Chance, thanked the workers for supporting the organization’s mission to provide educational scholarships to the children of Georgia workers who have been seriously, catastrophically or fatally injured in work-related accidents. The SunTrust Park project team has committed to fund two five-year scholarships for Georgia students affected by construction-related accidents.

In just under one year from placing the first cu yd of foundation concrete, American Builders 2017 has poured 43,000 cu yds to complete the stadium’s structure. That equates to emptying 14 concrete trucks on the jobsite every calendar day for one year.

SunTrust Park is scheduled to be complete and welcome its first visitors on Opening Day 2017.