Page 7 - ATODAY
P. 7
U.S. NEWS A7
Monday 14 March 2016
Crane operators are sky-high stars in NY construction boom
VERENA DOBNIK New York is enjoying a People’s lives depend on In this March 10, 2016 photo, a tower crane operator works from
Associated Press construction bonanza fol- crane precision, because
NEW YORK (AP) — Tommy lowing a recession that “you can’t have anything a cab, center, above the Hudson Yards construction site in New
Gambardella is a master choked new investment for falling out of the sky,” says
of New York’s construction years. The city has issued Bobby Cipriano, a vet- York. All around New York City, huge cranes fill the city skyline.
universe. permits for about $35 billion eran operator in charge
Each morning before worth of both residential of crane safety and main- Associated Press
dawn, he rides an eleva- and commercial construc- tenance at the $4.5 billion
tor more than 50 stories up tion in the past year. Brookfield Property Group All work stops. He remembered one dark
the side of a skyscraper Fifty-five tower cranes and development, called Man- When it comes to spec- night when his crew was
growing on Manhattan’s 26 smaller, “crawler” cranes hattan West, where Gam- tacular New York build- installing a crane, “and
West Side. Then, he steps are now in use, licensed by bardella works. ings, Cipriano, 57, of the Empire State Building
out onto a narrow walkway the city — about twice as “Tower cranes are intimi- Colts Neck, New Jer- is behind you, lit up in dif-
with a drop-dead view of many as two years ago, dating, and you have a sey, says he’s seen it all. ferent colors, and Madison
the city below and mounts according to the Depart- tremendous responsibility,” He’s manned cranes for Square Garden. It’s like be-
some spiral steps into the ment of Buildings. Cipriano says. the new New York Times ing in a plane, and coming
glass control cab of a tow- Standing on the sidewalk, it Before the crane moves, his building, Goldman Sachs’ in for an approach and at
er crane. is hard not to be awed by, dawn routine includes turn- downtown headquarters night. It’s really cool.”
There, he’s alone, in silence. and a little frightened of, ing on the generator that and the revitalized Times At Manhattan West, which
From high in the sky, he the supertall cranes hoist- powers the electric crane Square. But his proudest job will include two new office
can see the sun light up ing loads of steel into the and inspecting cables was working on One World towers, retail, a hotel, roof-
Manhattan all the way to sky. attached to the boom. Trade Center, the 104-story top gardens, restaurants
the harbor and the Statue In 2008, a 250-foot-tall tow- He also checks the radio skyscraper that replaced and a public park, Gam-
of Liberty. He wraps his fin- er crane collapsed on Man- equipment that allows the the twin towers decimated bardella puts in as much as
gers around two joysticks to hattan’s East Side, obliter- operator to contact crew in the Sept. 11 attacks. He 12 hours a day. Sometimes
bring the crane alive. ating a building below as members on the ground. was part of a crew that the Tomkins Cove, NewY-
Gambardella, 49, is at the it fell. Seven people died. Hoisting loads is a matter of slid several cranes on rails ork, resident is in the cabin
helm of one of the giant Just two months later, two trust. From the sky, the men up the side of the build- for five-hour stretches with
tower cranes sprouting workers were killed when a on the ground look like ing to the top. “It’s gratify- no break.
across the city, a prime 200-foot-tall crane fell over ants, preparing loads the ing. You drive down the Not everyone is fit for the
force in a building boom and struck an apartment operator hoists skyward on road and you can say, ‘I precarious work.
that is changing New York’s building across the street. a cable but cannot always was up there. That’s mine. “You’ve got to have a
skyline. It can be danger- Last year, seven people see. “You can feel it. You I jacked the crane on that certain disposition — ev-
ous work — a fact ham- were injured when an air- can feel when it comes up building,’” says Cipriano, erything calm, no yelling,
mered home by several conditioning unit weigh- and the signalman says, his eyes lighting up. “I don’t no screaming,” says Gam-
deadly accidents in recent ing tons came untethered ‘Great, that was nice,’” think I would want to do bardella.
years. from a crane, plunging 28 says Cipriano. anything else.”
“Is it a thrill? I love it. I love stories to Madison Avenue. “There shouldn’t be any
it. I absolutely love it,” he More recently, one of the ‘Oh, my God’ moments,’”
says after climbing from city’s crawler cranes top- Gambardella adds.
the translucent fishbowl of pled in gusty winds on Feb. What none of them trusts is
his control cab, atop what 5, killing a pedestrian. the wind.
will be a 65-story apart- That accident has again When it reaches 30 mph,
ment tower. “But you need brought attention to crane “you’re getting blown
to have a little more nerve safety. Last year, the city around, knocked around,”
than the average human hired 50 new construction says Gambardella. “It’s
being, and be a little cra- inspectors for a total of very difficult to control the
zy.” about 450. crane, and the load.”
