Midtown residents return home 1 week after unstable crane forced evacuations

Hundreds of Midtown Atlanta residents were finally able to return home Friday after crews completed a “critical milestone” to dismantle a malfunctioned crane that triggered evacuations and road closures last week.

Daniel Hall decided to celebrate the moment by taking his puppy for a walk in the rain.

“It’s a huge relief, especially for the weekend,” he told Channel 2 Action News. “I miss my apartment, she missed the apartment. She’s had a weird week.”

Several horizontal pieces of the crane were removed from the 31-story office tower under construction at 1105 West Peachtree Street, according to construction company Brasfield & Gorrie. Crews are now working to finish dismantling the crane and then will focus on breaking down the two massive assist cranes, “which will take time,” the Alabama-based company said Friday.

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

It has been one week since Atlanta authorities shut down West Peachtree Street after the crane malfunctioned and began to lean precariously over the busy street below.

No one was injured in the construction mishap, and the crane operator was able to make it out safely. Atlanta firefighters went door to door clearing out nearby apartment buildings and condominiums, and several businesses have been closed ever since, including Northside Medical Midtown.

“We are tremendously grateful for the patience and cooperation of residents, property owners and other neighbors who were impacted by this situation,” Brasfield & Gorrie said Friday in a statement. “We will continue to communicate with impacted individuals in the coming days to help address needs created by this situation, and our team continues to assess potential business impacts.”

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

Hall had just finished a work call last Friday when the alarm in his apartment building went off. He was told to quickly evacuate, so he grabbed his phone and his dog and headed out, not knowing when he would be able to return.

Now that residents are back home, his complex is providing free breakfast from Chick-fil-A the next two days. “(They’ve) been great,” Hall said.

Construction on the office tower was nearly complete before the snag. The 410-foot building is set to include 675,000 square feet of office space with two confirmed major tenants, Google and the law firm Smith, Gambrell & Russell. Developers say it’s the tallest building to rise in Atlanta since the Great Recession.

West Peachtree Street remains closed between 11th and 14th streets while work continues.