Officials from Austin Community College, Flintco LLC, Texas State University and the City of Kyle held a "topping out" ceremony March 5 to celebrate the completion of the frame of the first building at the ACC Hays campus.

The 91,105-square-foot building is located at the corner of Kyle Parkway and Kohler's Crossing in Kyle.

"[The topping out] is a signature point—a pivot point—when we stop focusing on the outside and we turn our focus to the skin and the interior elements that really make up the functional pieces of the building," Flintco Texas Division President John A. Martin said. Flintco is handling construction of the three-story building, which officials expect to be completed in time for classes to begin in spring 2014.

Martin listed some of the building's highlights so far:

On track for a Silver-rated LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certification for environmental and social responsibility

2,400 cubic yards of concrete

630 tons of steel

40,000 man hours as of March 5

ACC President Richard Rhodes thanked officials in Kyle and Buda for helping to make possible the annexation of Hays County into the ACC taxing district.

"The entire Hays community has adopted ACC, and we are so blessed to be a part of it," Rhodes said. "Our intent is to put together the types of programs—workforce delivery programs—that meet the needs of this part of Central Texas."

Rhodes and Texas State President Denise Trauth announced a program that will allow students attending ACC to simultaneously take courses at Texas State with full transferability of coursework toward a bachelor's degree. Trauth said that if the student achieves a 2.25 cumulative grade point average, he or she will be guaranteed admission to most majors at Texas State.

Trauth called the program "a very exciting prospect."

"It is not just about ACC and Texas State," Trauth said. "It's about the State of Texas, and we are preparing to give a great gift to the State of Texas."

The ceremony was initially planned to be held at the site of the Hays campus, but because of strong winds, it was relocated to the clubhouse at the Plum Creek Golf Course.