Hospital leaders say Boone Hospital tower will alter Columbia's skyline

COLUMBIA —The Boone Hospital Center celebrated the "topping off" of its new patient tower on  Thursday morning, though bad weather forced the installation of the tower's top beam a day early.

The 22-foot, 600-pound beam has been displayed in the hospital lobby for the six weeks , allowing people to sign it and to express their feelings about the hospital. The beam was scheduled to be ceremonially installed Thursday, but because of weather the beam was installed Wednesday.

The tower is scheduled to be completed in June 2011.

In addition, hospital officials unveiled an artist rendering of what the redevelopment of William Street will look like. The street will have an ornamental brick roundabout that leads to the entrance of the patient tower.

Robert McDavid, chairman of the center's board of trustees, said the completed tower will ultimately “alter the skyline of Columbia.”