Circuit of The Americas and general contractor Austin Commercial hosted a ceremony today to celebrate a significant building milestone for the premium sports, entertainment and business development facility under construction in southeast Travis County. Hundreds of guests gathered at the construction site to witness the progress made on the track and facilities since work began early this year.

Construction teams hold "topping off" ceremonies when they are ready to install support beams at the highest point of a building under construction. This morning, hundreds of Austin Commercial workers joined Circuit of The Americas employees and area VIPs to raise a tree with American and Texas flags attached to it to the highest point in the facility's pit building. The three-level, 270,000-square-foot pit building can accommodate up to 5,000 guests and will serve as hospitality space for sports groups, including motorsports teams, as well as meeting and hospitality space for a variety of business, entertainment and community events to be held at Circuit of The Americas when the venue is completed later this year.

Local dignitaries, including State Senator Judith Zaffirini, Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gomez and newly announced Circuit investor and local entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria attended the ceremony and praised the long hours and dedication of construction crews working to complete the venue in advance of its first major event, the United States Grand Prix set for 18 November..

"This project has required the continuous efforts from many different groups and individuals throughout the area," said Steve Sexton, president of Circuit of The Americas. "This ceremony marks a significant milestone in the construction. It was important for us to celebrate this achievement with the many people that have helped make it possible."

The project currently has more than 600 workers on site and is expected to create approximately 1,700 construction jobs throughout its duration. The venue is expected to host dozens of events annually, including community events, and generate significant new tax revenue in addition to thousands of travel and tourism jobs. Circuit of The Americas will also serve as a leader in sustainability as it relates to major event venues and the motorsports it hosts, through high-performance operations, design, research, education and partnerships.

The latest pictures issued by the circuit can be found here.