Here’s why a helicopter was called in to help with a project in Boston’s Beacon Hill
A helicopter was called in to Boston to help complete a massive $37 million project in the city’s Beacon Hill neighborhood.
A chopper that can lift up to 15,000 pounds — one of two in the entire country that does this type of work — hauled six pieces of a massive generator on top of the McCormack Building at 1 Ashburton Place.
The project, which began back in 2020, could not be completed with a crane because of the steep and narrow streets on Beacon Hill.
Structural engineers said the “Helicopter Day” or “Chopper Day” was a major operation and required a lot of caution. The historic statues outside the Massachusetts State House got covered up in order to keep them safe from the wind.
The sight of a helicopter lifting up the massive pieces of the generator on top of the building drew crowds of curious onlookers on Boston Common.
“I was like: ‘Whoa! What’s happening?’ What’s happening? Am I in a movie?’” said a Boston resident named Bri B. “I was really excited to see what was going on, so I ran closer.”
“It was very windy!” said 9-year-old Finn McGee.
The project is now complete, as the backup generator is now secured on top of the McCormack Building.