Building Official Don Tyre called Florida’s new hurricane-emergency law “a good first step,” citing the October collapse of a tower crane from the Residences at 400 Central into a neighboring downtown office building during Hurricane Milton. The legislation (SB 180) now requires every development using a tower or mobile crane to keep a hurricane preparedness plan on site and available for inspection.

Contractors must follow a defined checklist within 24 hours of expected storm impacts — actions that can include securing or configuring equipment for high winds. The Florida Building Commission must develop statewide best practices for cranes and other hoisting gear by Dec. 31, 2026.

To get ahead of the rules, city staff will ask for crane engineering drawings and a copy of each project’s preparedness plan before vertical construction begins. St. Petersburg will also add crane wind-speed ratings — typically 145 to 155 mph — and related data to an interactive public map.

Residents should see fewer worries overhead this season. Tyre said the 400 Central project, the city’s tallest building, no longer needs its crane. By Aug. 1, only two cranes — both rated to 145 mph winds and already bolted to the structure at the 3rd & 3rd development on 3rd Avenue S — are expected to remain in the city.

“This has been a fantastic collaboration,” Councilmember Brandi Gabbard said. “Our staff, our administration, our delegation, our council members – this is what working together looks like.”

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