Midtown businesses deemed safe to reopen as crane removal nears completion

Businesses are now safe to return to normal operations as crews finish removing a massive crane that malfunctioned outside of a Midtown high-rise, causing evacuations and closures that lasted a week.

The process to remove the crane outside of 1105 West Peachtree Street is entering its last legs and is scheduled to be complete by Wednesday.

“The crews made great progress this weekend,” Brasfield & Gorrie spokeswoman Meg Burton told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

An apartment complex and several nearby businesses were closed Feb. 19 when crews first became concerned about the teetering crane. A mechanical failure caused it to tilt as crews were attempting to lower it, officials previously said.

After determining it was in danger of falling onto buildings below, Atlanta firefighters went door to door clearing hundreds of residents. Nearby restaurants were encouraged not to open, and a medical office was forced to close its doors and turn away urgent care patients. No one was injured in the construction mishap, and the crane operator was able to make it out safely.

For a week, residents were unable to return to their apartments, and businesses remained shuttered while authorities worked on the malfunctioned crane. The apartments and businesses were deemed safe to return to Friday after crews dismantled an upper portion of the crane.

Northside Medical Midtown, which remained closed throughout the crane removal process, reopened Saturday.

Two lanes of West Peachtree Street have reopened, and authorities expect the rest of the road will be open Wednesday after the crane has been safely removed.