St. Petersburg officials reviewed new tower crane safety measures on May 19, focusing on preparedness ahead of the upcoming hurricane season.
The review comes after a high-profile incident during Hurricane Milton in which a 500-foot-tall crane collapsed at the Residences at 400 Central tower, damaging the Tampa Bay Times building and forcing tenants to relocate. More than a year and a half later, the affected building remains unusable and is being marketed for redevelopment.
Councilmember Gina Driscoll said that the committee sought updates not only on regulations but also on how residents living near cranes will be notified during severe weather events. Angela Phillips, a building official with the City of St. Petersburg, said during her presentation, “As you all know during Hurricane Milton the crane failed during high winds. Luckily nobody was hurt but it did push for more legislation for crane regulations.”
Phillips explained that Senate Bill 180 now requires hurricane preparedness plans for tower cranes and hoisting equipment at construction sites and directed the Florida Building Commission to develop statewide best practices by late 2026. However, she said state law still prevents local governments from enacting stricter rules than those set by Florida lawmakers.
In response, St. Petersburg has expanded its inspection protocols and introduced a voluntary affidavit process requiring contractors to document storm preparations with photographs and checklists. The city also updated its “Prepare, St. Pete” emergency mapping system to show potential collapse zones around active cranes so residents can search their address to see if they are within an impact area as construction progresses.
Crane-related alerts have been added to Alert Pinellas so residents can opt in for notifications via phone, email or text if an emergency occurs nearby; county authorities may also issue Wireless Emergency Alerts in extreme situations.
Driscoll raised concerns about ensuring direct communication with downtown residents who might not be aware of these alerts: “Looking at the radius around where any of our tower cranes are, what I’m looking for is direct messaging to the buildings, the residents who live in those buildings.” Phillips responded that outreach efforts include working with building managers and neighborhood associations as well as participating in preparedness events.
Lowering or dismantling cranes before storms remains challenging due to planning requirements and costs; currently only one active tower crane stands downtown at 235 3rd Street South (the site of an apartment project), which is expected to be removed before June 1st when hurricane season begins.
Driscoll praised recent changes: “This just shows how much progress we’ve made,” she said. “We always learn multiple things during a storm and this is a great example of how we took what happened and identified a process that needed improvement.”
While local authority over crane operations remains limited under state law, city officials say their focus continues on preparedness efforts and improving communication with residents ahead of future storms.
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