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Visit SteamboatHomefinder.com for more real estate news.

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Steamboat Springs — The year of the crane has come to a conclusion at One Steamboat Place.

The two yellow construction cranes at the 80-unit luxury condominium project at the base of Steamboat Ski Area were disassembled May 20 to 22. The job required a third specialized crane designed to work in close with very heavy loads. Once that work was done, a fourth crane was called in to take down the third crane.

"It certainly changed the skyline at the mountain," said Chris Burden, project director for Timbers Resorts. Burden's observation was on target. The two cranes, one of them 160 feet tall and the other 200 feet tall, were a prominent part of the holiday decorations at the ski area during the winter.

The specialized crane used for the dismantling is just one of two like it in the country. It was needed because One Steamboat Place is surrounded on three sides by existing buildings. The dismantling crane was able to park close to OSP and lift the heavy pieces of the construction crane at a very steep angle.

Haselden Construction was using the twin towers almost exclusively to move materials around the tightly constrained site at OSP for the past four months. Steel work on the

building was completed in December 2008.

The removal of the cranes signifies another milestone in the construction of the nearly 500,000-square-foot One Steamboat Place, which is on pace for completion in December, Burden said. Along with the cranes, the scaffolding has come down from the west and east wings of the building. Scaffolding remains in place on the central building where exterior materials are being installed.

"One of my favorite things is to see the scaffolding come down," Burden said. "It's 50 percent down now, and it will all be down by July."

The removal of the spider web of scaffolding provides the clearest views yet of the final appearance of the building that is transforming the base of the ski area.

However, the primary activity for the 375 workers on the site now is working on the interior of the condominiums.

"They are working floor by floor, installing millwork, cabinetry, hanging doors and installing door hardware," Burden said.

At the same time, hardwood flooring, bathroom tile and granite countertops are being installed.

Work remaining on the exterior of the building includes installation of canopies and deck railings.

Many of the construction workers on the project have been putting in four 10-hour days a week to allow them to return to permanent homes on Colorado's Front Range during the weekends, Burden said.

- To reach Tom Ross, call 871-4205 or e-mail tross@steamboatpilot.com