Suggestion for Reopening Observation Deck
From what I understand, the John Hancock Tower had a public observation deck on the 60th floor from when the building opened in 1976 until the attacks on September 11, 2001 when the owners used the excuse of security concerns for permnantely closing the deck. Most other skyscraper observation decks that were shut down by the attacks have since reopened. Examples include the nearby Prudential Tower, the Empire State Building in New York City, Sears Tower in Chicago, John Hancock Center in Chicago, Columbia Center in Seattle, World Trade Center in Baltimore, and the Carew Tower in Cincinnati. Even the Sky lobbies of Chase Tower in Houston, Wells Fargo Plaza in Houston, and Chase Tower in Dallas were reopened after the attacks, though they permnantely closed in the mid to late 2010's. Even the observation deck at the Terminal Tower in Cleveland was reopened in 2010, even if it took 9 years. Furthermore, the Statue of Liberty pedestal was reopened in 2004 and the crown in 2009 despite concerns about terrorism and fire safety. The Washington Monument, Space Needle, and Gateway Arch were reopened not too long after 9/11 and even the observation deck of the Theme Building at LAX was reopened in 2010 after being closed since 9/11. Therefore, the continued closure of the John Hancock Tower observation deck is inexcusable and a great loss of a huge revenue making tourist attraction. There also have been new skyscraper observation decks added in the United States since the attacks on 9/11. These include the One World Trade Center in New York City at the site of the Twin Towers in 2015, 30 Hudson Yards in New York City in 2020, One Vanderbilt in New York City in 2021, and the Wilshire Grand Tower in Los Angeles in 2017. In addition some older skyscrapers that had their observation decks closed years before 9/11 have reopened them as well. Examples include 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City in 2005, the Customs House Tower in Boston in 2006, and 2 Canal Street in New Orleans in 2022. On top of this, One Liberty Place in Philadelphia and the US Bank Tower in Los Angeles had observation decks added in the mid 2010's even though they were built originally without one. Those two decks were closed permanently as a result of the Fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, though the Aon Center in Chicago will soon have an observation deck added even though it was not originally built with one. The Prudential Tower observation deck is undergoing a major renovation and has been closed since March 2020, though will reopen in Spring 2023. Like 30 Hudson Yards and One Vanderbilt in New York City and 2 Canal Street in New Orleans, the new Prudential Tower observation deck is poised to become a popular tourist attraction in part due to Instagramable features. Therefore, in this day and age of smartphones and social media, it is even more inexcusable for the John Hancock Tower observation deck to remain closed to the public. Therefore, the observation deck at the John Hancock Tower should be reopened in the next two to three years and have features that make it much more than just a place to view the Boston skyline. The admission fee should also be set at 20-25 US dollars with discounts for senior citizens, students, active duty military personnel, children, and Boston area residents.
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