Boca begins tearing down unused water towers

Drivers who commute through Boca Raton on south Dixie Highway might start to notice something missing during their drive this week.

Boca Raton has started taking down a water storage tower on the south end of Dixie Highway, part of a plan to remove the city’s two remaining water towers.

Workers on Monday began to dismantle the water storage bowl of the south tower, located at Southwest 13th Terrace.

“You’ll start to see it come apart piece by piece,” said Chrissy Gibson, the city’s communications manager. “They’ll take about three weeks each.”

The tear-down is being done by city contractor Allstate Tower Inc., which specializes in manufacturing, installing and servicing util-

ity and communications towers.

Mark Lowery, an Allstate supervisor for the south tower’s crew, said his workers pre-cut the storage tank of the south tower near Boca Isle Park last week.

Monday’s work included removing the tank, and crews began cutting and disassembling the support posts Tuesday.

Crews will finish that demolition before moving to the north water tower, which sits at the corner of Northeast 42nd Street and Dixie Highway.

The city said some lane closures on Dixie may come as a result of the north tower’s demolition because it is closer to the street.

Both of the steel tanks being removed were built in 1958 and have been unused for more than a decade, according to the city’s website. Boca’s utilities department began using other water storage facilities, including underground tanks.

CARLINE JEAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Crews began cutting and disassembling the support posts Tuesday on the south tower.

CARLINE JEAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Demolition of the two towers is expected to take about three weeks. The towers were built in 1958 and have been unused for more than a decade.