The section of the 236-foot-tall former observation tower was dismantled by two large cranes and dozens of workers, authorities said. New York police on Tuesday night had cordoned off a three-block area near the tower, including two of the park’s most popular rides, the Cyclone roller coaster and Deno’s Wonder Wheel. In all, 19 rides and dozens of businesses were closed for nearly 48 hours.
The gyro tower with a two-story observation deck was built in the 1960s as part of Astroland, a futuristic theme park. The ride took visitors to a donut-shaped landing, which had fondly been referred to as a “big bagel in the sky.” The tower ceased operations when Astroland closed in 2008.
At 3 p.m. Thursday, July 4th, city officials decided that the significantly shorter tower was no longer swaying, making the Brooklyn amusement park safe again for large crowds.
“We have been successful, we have been able to mitigate the risk,” said Robert LiMandri, the New York City Building Department commissioner.
Two more sections of the Astrotower were scheduled to be removed on Friday morning, officials added.
