The topping off ceremony — a long-standing building tradition — comprised nearly 200 guests, including local tradespeople; community leaders; architecture, engineering and construction firms; university partners; and elected officials. Guests were invited to sign graphic renderings of Aggie Square that will hang within the completed buildings and symbolize the community’s significant contribution to Sacramento’s groundbreaking innovation district. 

“Aggie Square will build on the Sacramento region’s intellect and ingenuity and help build a brighter tomorrow, with job opportunities and substantial benefits to our economy for generations to come,” said UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May. “Building a project of this magnitude is good for the economy, the business community, students, faculty and residents who will be empowered to bring diverse backgrounds and points of view to spur innovation.”  

Construction phase

Construction of the first phase comprises 728,000 square feet and includes a life science, engineering and technology research and academic building; a building focused on lifelong learning and public scholarship, which also includes spaces for startup companies and community programming; a six-story parking garage and a student housing building to support UC Davis’ growing Sacramento campus and programs like Quarter at Aggie Square. Construction on the first phase began in the spring of 2022 and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.

“We are incredibly proud of the tremendous efforts of our project partners, including hundreds of workers from the surrounding community and the numerous local firms that have enabled Aggie Square to reach this important milestone,” said Thomas Osha, executive vice president, Wexford Science & Technology. “The result of their hard work is clearly visible on the Sacramento skyline.”

In April 2021, UC Davis, Wexford and the city of Sacramento agreed on a Community Benefits Partnership Agreement based on three years of input from local residents. The agreement provides a framework for access to and training for both short-term construction jobs and long-term permanent jobs created by Aggie Square, as well as directs $50 million toward affordable housing in the surrounding neighborhoods. The construction of Aggie Square will generate an estimated one-time economic impact of $2.6 billion within the six-county region.

Early support from community

“I am thrilled we are so close to opening Aggie Square. This is a transformational project for Sacramento, for our local economy and for our community. It creates affordable housing, transportation improvements and good high-paying jobs for our residents,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg.

Additionally, several elected and community leaders attended and participated in the event to offer their support: U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento; Sacramento Vice Mayor Eric Guerra; Councilmember Caity Maple; and former Councilmember Jay Schenirer.

The event concluded with a behind-the-scenes tour, where guests had an opportunity to explore the exterior space and peek into what will soon be first-floor classrooms and community-designated spaces.

The structural frame includes more than 13,000 yards of concrete for the foundation and the first two floors and 2.7 million pounds of rebar.  Pouring involved 60 concrete trucks per hour and 120 workers per pour. Multiple Sacramento-based companies, including Bagatelos Architectural Glass Systems, Airco Mechanical and Southland Industries are providing key elements of the project, including the shining glass facade (Bagatelos) for both buildings.

About Aggie Square

Aggie Square will bring together university research and teaching, industry and the community to create opportunities across the region. It will be home to research programs, private industry partners, classrooms, student housing and public-facing programs that engage local communities and entrepreneurs. The region’s innovation district will continue to be a source of ongoing jobs. It’s projected to inject $5 billion annually to the regional economy and support 25,000 ongoing jobs.

Construction and trade partners

All architectural, engineering, general contractors and trade partners — in alphabetical order:

• ACCO Engineered Systems (mechanical and plumbing)
• Affiliated Engineers Inc. (engineer of record)
• Air Systems (mechanical and plumbing)
• Airco Mechanical (mechanical and plumbing) 
• Allegion (door hardware consultant)
• Anning-Johnson Co. (framing and GWB)
• Arctos Erosion Control (storm water treatment)
• ARUP (fire and life safety code consultant)
• APEX (dry utilities)
• Atlas Labs (landscape architect)
• Bagatelos Architectural Glass Systems (curtainwall)
• Berg Drywall (framing and GWB)
• Bigge Crane & Rigging (personnel hoisting)
• BKF Engineers (surveying)
• Brown (Housing general contractor)
• B.T. Mancini (flooring)
• Capitol Builders Hardware (doors and hardware)
• Casco Equipment (dock levelers)
• Cemco Acoustics (fireproofing)
• Clark-Pacific (design-build precast concrete for parking)
• Colin Gordon Associates (acoustical consultant)
• Consolidated CM (inspector of record)
• Cosco Fire Protection (fire protection)
• CPP (wind engineering)
• Cunningham Engineering (civil engineer of record)
• Evans Brothers (demolition and grading)
• F.D. Thomas (insulation)
• Frank M. Booth (mechanical and plumbing)
• GMH (residential developer)
• Goodfellow Bros. (grading and site work)
• H2I group (lab casework)
• Hillman Consulting (environmental consultant)
• J.W. McClenahan Co. (plumbing)
• John Jackson Masonry (masonry)
• Largo Concrete (structural concrete)
• Lorax (LEED and sustainability consultant)
• Martin/Martin (maintenance engineers)
• Maxim Crane Works (cranes, hoisting and rigging)
• Merganser (site labor)
• Miller Paneling Specialties (wall paneling)
• Mission Bell (casework)
• Modernus (wall systems)
• Morrow Surveying Inc. (land surveyors)
• Mountain Inc. (caulking)
• Nevell Group (framing and GWB)
• Olson & Co. Steel (misc. metals and stairs)
• Otis Elevators (elevators)
• Pacific Decorative Concrete (concrete polishing)
• Pat Baird Acoustics (acoustic ceilings and wall panels)
• Pisor Fence Division (fences)
• Pivotal Lighting (lighting consultant)
• Preston Pipelines Infrastructure (underground utilities)
• Prime Electric (electrical)
• ProSpectra Contract Flooring (flooring)
• Pro West Wall Products (wall covering)
• PTS Masonry (masonry)
• RELM Studio (landscape architect)
• River City Millworks (casework)
• Rosendin Electric (electrical)
• St. Onge (loading dock consultants)
• Service Metal Products (toilet partitions)
• Smith-Emery San Francisco (special inspections)
• Sonoma Fabricators (expansion joints)
• Southland Industries (mechanical and plumbing)
• Syska Hennessy (elevator consultant)
• Thorton Tomasetti (structural engineer of record)
• Tractel (window washing equipment)
• Urata & Sons Concrete (parking structure concrete)
• Valdez Painting (painting)
• Wallace Kuhl (geotechnical)
• Western States Fire Protection (fire protection)
• Wexford Science and Tech (master developer)
• Whiting-Turner (construction manager for Aggie Square)
• ZGF Architects (architect of record)