A dormant crane located in downtown Tampa is causing some individuals to worry during the height of hurricane season.
Construction at an apartment complex situated on Florida Avenue and Zack Street has come to a halt.
Workers nearby, such as John Fitzgibbons, mentioned that the project has been on hold since October 2023 and are concerned it might present a safety issue following another incident.A crane in downtown St. Pete fell down during Hurricane Milton.
"It would be truly helpful to understand precisely what is happening," remarked Fitzgibbons, an attorney whose office is situated in the Tampa Theatre building nearby.
The crane is positioned atop a parking structure and is situated near a hotel that previously served as a federal courthouse.
A city representative says the crane's owner, KAST Construction, is in contact with officials, and last week, the company verified that it met OSHA standards and the manufacturer's guidelines.
The evaluation relies on an independent safety review.
"The city's procedure for active construction sites: When we are aware of an incoming storm, we request the sites to secure all their equipment (such as cranes) and follow their Hurricane preparedness plan," said Jennifer Holton, the city's communications coordinator for development and economic opportunity.
Fitzgibbons stated that if the building's construction remains halted, he would prefer the crane to be removed. If not, he wants further clarification on when the construction might restart to prevent any possible risks.
A crane failure in St. Pete last year triggerednew legislationfocused on enhancing crane safety.
It requires companies to protect equipment and cranes within 24 hours of a storm's anticipated effect. Among the additional requirements outlined in the law, there must be a hurricane preparedness plan in place, which a city spokesperson shared from KAST Construction.
Currently, some local workers hope that initiatives to enhance safety can ensure people's well-being.
"I believe that if there is proof that something similar posed a risk in St. Pete and resulted in harm, we should take that into account and incorporate it into our future actions," said a nearby worker.
10 Tampa Bay News contacted KAST Construction for their input and will revise this article upon receiving a reply.