Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/285258
After standing vacant for four years, Dolphin Tower, the downtown condominium complex with a crack in its figurative heart, is show- ing some signs of life. That crack was not caused by errant romance. Bad concrete did the damage. Now construction crews are using pressurized water jets to demolish areas of the building in order to repair a "transfer slab" that failed, putting the entire high-rise in jeopardy. The work is causing so much noise, the neighbors are complaining. "You couldn't hear yourself think," said Eileen Hampshire, who owns and operates a shop on Palm Avenue just behind the tower. "It was noise that was constant. People on the street were afraid and leaving. It was unbelievable." The Palm Avenue Merchants Association approached the Downtown Improvement District board on Tuesday, March 23, to ask for more information about the work. "We are supportive of the renovation, as opposed to the trauma of razing it," said Ken Taksen, association vice president. "But most of us The construction trailer under Dolphin Tower's porte cochere says it all. The tower is closed while repairs are in progress. Photo by Stan Zimmerman WORK HAS BEGUN TO STABILIZE DOLPHIN TOWER THE PRICE OF PROGRESS By Stan Zimmerman City Editor