ANN ARBOR - This is a small city where developable downtown land is at a premium, so it is rare these days that a high-rise the such as the one being erected at Main and William streets would ever get off the ground.

Late last month, the nine-story Syndeco Plaza development was off the ground and then some. On Sept. 28, Iron Workers Local 25 members and Richmond Steel topped out the 180,000 square-foot building, which will include office space and luxury condominiums in the penthouse.

"We started the steel July 31, and we put up a new floor every four days," said iron worker Superintendent Mark Maracle. "It went up quick. It's been a good, safe job."

The project began Jan. 15 and completion is expected in the first quarter of next year. Barton-Malow is acting as general contractor on the project, which is being built above three levels of much-needed below-grade parking. A separate project will involve construction of townhouses to ring the high-rise.

"The biggest challenge we've had on this job is that we've had to move a lot of earth," said Barton-Malow Senior Project Manager George Hamlin. "We've dug out 50,000 yards of earth, and it was very difficult building an earth retention system."

THE CREW of Iron Workers Local 25 members and Richmond Steel personnel celebrate the topping out of the Syndeco Plaza building in Ann Arbor, one of the few high-rises going up in the city.

CHAIR CARRIERS for toilets in the Syndeco Plaza building are installed by John Bowdish and Kevin Sulier of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 190 and John Darr Mechanical.