How to Squeeze 250-Ft Boom Lift into a Ballpark to Hang a Sign Above the Tallest Scoreboard

Amusement Parks and Arenas Maintenance and Repair

Case Study:

How to Squeeze a 250-Ft Boom Lift into a Ballpark to Hang a Sign Above the Tallest Scoreboard

What was the challenge?

Citi Field is a baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in New York City. In spring 2023, Citi Field unveiled the largest digital scoreboard across all professional ballparks, featuring almost 30,000 sq feet of Samsung outdoor LED digital screens. Installation of the “CITI FIELD” sign above the screen was completed using giant cranes. The only remaining step was to attach the soft transparent front panel covering the lights inside the fourth letter, “I.”

Cranes were unsuitable to complete the job because the panel was soft, long, light, and pliable and flapped in the wind. Plus, someone needed to access the sign from the front side to screw the panel onto the letter box. Unfortunately, safe access to the sign was available only from its backside. No JLGs could reach up to 200 feet with a sizable side reach.

Our current client recommended Alpha Platforms to the construction team. The Alpha estimator arrived at the site within 24 hours of the call, completed the project feasibility and safety assessments, and provided the client with a quote. The work was scheduled shortly thereafter.

What was the solution?

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Given the height and required sidereach, Alpha Platforms assigned its second-tallest boom lift, the A-250, to this project.
2
When our professional operator drove the truck to the gate, the automated gate needed to be opened at its maximum, given the truck’s sizable dimensions. The ballpark facilities manager manually opened the gate and let the truck in.
3
The closest parking spot to the sign assigned during the estimator visit unexpectedly became unavailable.
4
Fortunately, the giant side reach of the A-250 aerial lift (up to 135 feet) allowed the operator to park farther away than originally planned. No other boom lifts in the world have a longer side reach. The lift setup and perimeter securement took 15 minutes.
5
Next, two of our clients had loaded their tools and their sign panel into our 12-foot cage and secured themselves to the basket. Our lift performed its automated "maximum weight limit check" and notified the operator that the current weight had exceeded the maximum lift capacity, which would impact the maximum lift reach.
6
The client simply swapped out their current technicians for team members with less body mass. This allowed the workers to quickly secure the signage panel in place. With this project now completed, our A-250 left shortly thereafter.
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The specs of our state-of-the-art A-250 lift:
Details

What was the outcome?

The project took only a couple of hours to complete.

Most of the time was spent squeezing the truck through the gates, looking for an alternative parking spot, and adjusting the cage load to achieve the required height and side reach.

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Our precise German-made lifts have become the height access method of choice for those who try them, as they combine unmatched productivity, safety, and reach.
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Notable 250 Foot Boom Lift Capabilities
  • 12-foot extra large cage
  • 1,322 lbs lifting capacity for crew, equipment, and materials
  • Cage rotation 2 x 200°
  • Side reach up to 130 feet
  • Unique "under and up" or "up and over and back" access
  • Smooth controlled motions to move close to and around glass and fragile structures
  • Jib length 49’2’’

Alpha Platforms has helped hundreds of teams like yours


Customer Testimonials
from Case Studies

Mike P.
Building restoration services family business owner

We wanted to give it a try and see what this boom truck could do. We loved the idea of a wide basket that could reach up to 30 feet and get to the brick wall over the roof. The main reason we loved the truck was how it maneuvered the boom to lower the bricks inside a dumpster, which was located behind the truck. It saved us at least one extra day of work. It all went great.

Joseph A.
Head stone mason, national cathedral

The project was performed successfully, and we were really glad to have contactless means of reaching the building, as we all know that pipe scaffold might damage the structure, in this case, very very sensitive.

Jason A.
Director of operations, family-owned regional electrical services provider

Alpha has the most efficient and leanest site setup time I’ve ever seen. My brother, who is the top climber of our group, first struggled to understand how this cage could go around the tower better than the crane - and when it did the whole 360°, he became a believer. Also, each laborer said how incredibly safe they felt - very different from the small crane basket. We were able to secure and push back the panels in place without the basket ever moving.

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