BILLINGS — If you’ve walked by the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel parking lot in downtown Billings lately, you might be wondering what a 900-ton, 250-foot-tall crane is doing there.
Billings-based HVAC company Air Controls is installing 200-ton cooling towers on the hotel’s roof.
It’s a massive project that downtown Billings hasn’t seen on this scale in a while.
“This will be the largest change out that we’ve done on this scale,” said the president of Air Controls, Chris Schaff, at the DoubleTree Hotel on Monday.
Air Controls is up for the challenge. They’re replacing the hotel’s cooling towers on the roof they originally put in 25 years ago.
The crane in their parking lot was driven all the way from Kansas for the project.
“It actually is mobilized by 20 different semi-trucks,” said Alec Swanson, the business development sales manager for JMS Crane and Rigging.
It’s been quite a shocker for Billings residents.
“Seeing the crane was kind of a big surprise, having it pop up seemed like overnight you know,” said Billings resident Preston Salveson, who was staying at the hotel.
It seems that way because it did take a full day to put the crane together.
“There has been very few that hasn’t stopped to take a look whether it’s people walking by taking pictures on their phone or talking because the stoplight turned green and everyone’s still looking at the equipment,” Swanson said.
Air Controls implemented a traffic plan in place but the construction has made roads in downtown Billings a little busier than usual.
“I travel through here all the time. It seems like the traffic was a little hectic this morning. I was a little confused on where to park,” Salveson said.
Lucky for residents like Salveson, Air Controls said the construction will ideally be done by Saturday.
“Give us the time and money and we'll get 'er done,” said Schaff.
