Come fall, crews will proceed with enclosures, sealing the site with mobile barriers on game days, says Neal Morton, senior project director with Barton Malow. Ground also will break on the music building, with top out, exterior and interior work executed on a schedule similar to that the two larger structures.

The project will peak with 420 workers on site per day, says Morton, with all three facilities finishing simultaneously in summer 2017.

The date will mark a milestone in Notre Dame's evolution, Marsh believes. "For alumni, the stadium has served as a terrific place of pilgrimage on fall weekends. Soon it will mark a year-round destination for students, faculty, alumni and visitors, forging connections among all. For our group, it isn't simply about designing buildings, it's about what we leave behind."