Potain tower cranes help transform Madison’s downtown skyline under an airport flight path

• Two topless tower cranes, a Potain MDT 489 M25 and MDT 219 J10, are working on a 14-story mixed-use development just a few blocks from the state capitol.
• Reynolds Rigging and Crane supplied the topless cranes to construction company Findorff because they could fit in the tight urban space and avoid strict airport flight path regulations.

Two Potain cranes are helping Findorff build a 14-story high-rise at 109 E Wilson in Madison, Wisconsin. The development will feature 244 residential units, a seven-restaurant food hall with patio lake-front seating, a rooftop pool terrace, a Sky Lounge, a high-end chop house, a three-story parking garage, and more. Additionally, it will include a green roof, further changing Madison's evolving skyline. Designed to meet LEED Silver standards, the project prioritizes sustainability and efficiency.

Reynolds Rigging and Crane Service, Inc. (Reynolds), one of Findorff's specialty contractor partners on this project, chose the cranes for their space efficiency in the air. With a zero-lot footprint, a two-way road, and railroad tracks at the rear of the site, the cranes needed to conform to the tight lifting quarters. Critically, the cranes needed to be erected high enough to lift to the structure's roof, but stay below the restricted flight path, given the proximity to the Wisconsin State Capitol and nearby airport.

"I don't think this project would be possible without the topless design of the Potain cranes," said Nathanael Reynolds, Executive Vice President, at Reynolds. "There was a very narrow set of parameters - both on the ground and in the air - that the cranes needed to fit within to complete the lifting work. We were able to help Findorff successfully plan the project with the only tools that could get the job done."