Local 4 crane operator working on the 10 World Trade project watches a city grow from his operator’s cab high above Boston’s Seaport District.
Mike Salvador has arguably enjoyed better views of downtown Boston than any of Beantown’s pro athletes — or team owners. That’s because for much of the past thirteen years he’s been perched hundreds of feet above the ground in the operator’s cab of a construction crane, watching the city below during a period of unprecedented growth — especially in the Seaport District. His current project is 10 World Trade, a 555,000 square-foot Class A building which began construction in March of 2022 and is projected to be completed next year. We asked Mike to come down from his crane to share his unique perspective on a few things, including the occasional lightning strike to the boom.
Note: Mario Pagliocca, the Senior Superintendent overseeing the Project for Suffolk Construction, also joined our conversation.. The dialogue below was lightly edited for clarity. Check out the video to hear Mike in his own words.
So Mike, it seems like you’ve been around long enough to see the Seaport District and Boston as a whole expand with all these buildings.
Mike: Absolutely. Yeah. I started working up there in 2013 over on A street, and then from there went over to Pier Four. We did that job on the corner of Seaport Boulevard (former home to the famous Anthony’s Pier 4 restaurant) and then we went over to Watermark, right on Seaport Boulevard. They built a 17-story building over there. Then we went over to the North End and came back a few years later and did the building at 150 Seaport, right where Whiskey Priest was once located. From there I did another short-time job before coming here this past October.
Tell us a little bit about the daily life of a crane operator. The climb up has to take more than a couple minutes, right?
Mike: Yeah, the climb is 300 feet up, climbing 20-foot ladders one at a time. It's a little challenging some days, you know. I'm not gonna lie, but we get up there. We bring our lunch. We bring everything we need up when we climb up, and for the most part I spend the whole day up there. It gets a little lonely at times, but it's also nice being alone at other times.
What are some of the biggest or most stressful things you have to work around?
Mike: Well, it can be challenging working in the wind, working in the blind . . . sometimes the communication. Sometimes you get a foggy day or rainy days. Snow, you know — working in the elements. You try to make it work.
Not a lot of people understand what someone like you goes through. Not a lot of people do this job and get to see the city from your perspective.
Mike:
Yeah. The views are absolutely spectacular up there.You can see all of the airport, the ocean, all of the buildings downtown. The views are absolutely beautiful, especially on a nice early morning at sunrise or in the afternoon. You get some beautiful sunsets.
Do you have any favorite pictures you can share with us that you’ve taken from your cab?
Mike:
Oh yeah. I can share them with you. I said, I've been working in and out of the neighborhood over the last 10 years. I've taken some pretty amazing pictures and I have them on my phone.
Did you have to get over any fears of heights to do this job?
Mike:
Surprisingly, no. When I first found out I was going on a tower crane, I thought I was going to be afraid of the heights, but the crane wasn't that high and I just acclimated to the height fairly quickly. When you do it every day you get comfortable with it. Which isn't always a good thing.
Have you ever had to walk out the boom?
Mike:
Oh, absolutely. Yeah. You gotta, you know, check for lightning. You have to lower the boom, put a harness on, walk out there, do the inspection, and make sure everything's safe before you put the crane back into operation.
Mario:
That's when you really start feeling the height, right?
Mike:
Nah, I got some pictures of that, too. Wanna see? I've got some pictures and video of us walking the boom. But you know, the first time is always the worst. After you do it the first time it gets easier and easier. When you start to get comfortable, that's when you gotta take a step back. That's when things go wrong, when you get too comfortable, you know? But you just take it slow.
You said you’ve walked out on the boom after lightning, but you probably have to wait a little bit, right? You don't go out when it's raining, do you?
Mike:
Oh, absolutely not. My crane only got hit by lightning once, one time.
Mario:
1 Dalton got hit by lightning, right?
Mike:
Yeah, that one got hit by lightning. But the crane's grounded. You do have to go out there and check everything visually, to make sure there are no problems, no issues. You’re actually safe in the cab.The crane’s grounded. You never want to climb up or down on the ladder — an aluminum ladder in a lightning storm. You have to wait it out, whether it's time to go home or it's time to climb. If there's lightning in an area, you can’t. You gotta be safe.
So what do you think about this building (10 World Trade)? When all is said and done, how do you think it ranks with some of the other buildings you’ve been a part of?
Mike: This is one of the most unique buildings I’ve ever been a part of, you know with all the different angles and arches. Nothing is plumb, nothing is straight — everything's on an angle. But you know it's been fun to watch it come together, for sure.
Mario:
Yeah, it’s very unique. It has a 20,000 square foot floor plate on the ground and 40,000 square feet at the top. So it’s almost like a pyramid — an upside down pyramid.
What happens when you finish a building like this? Is there a celebration for the crew?
Mike: Yeah, there’s usually a topping-off party. Usually when the last piece of iron goes in they paint it white and they’ll put a Christmas tree and a flag out. Everybody will sign their names and there will be a little cookout — a celebration, you know. A completion-of-job type party. I've been to a few of them. Working for Suffolk they always put on a nice little celebration for us at the end.
We want to thank Mike for sharing his unique perspective on Boston with us. We wish him and the entire Suffolk crew well in advance of the topping off this December 2023, and to a completed job in December 2024!