In downtown Bellevue, just a few minutes from our house, it seems like there’s a construction crane on every block. A Seattle Times editorial last week claimed “Of the estimated 35 construction cranes angling toward the sky in cities west of the Mississippi, 15 are parked in downtown Bellevue.” The 35 estimate is low in comparison to the numbers in the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Their interviews of tower crane rental companies brought out estimates of 40 and 50 in the Puget Sound region alone. The construction boom has increased rental lead times to 6-8 months. Tower cranes cost $8,000 – $30,000 a month depending on size, plus $60,000 – $80,000 for preparation and setup. And luffing cranes, which can lower their booms and avoid hitting other buildings in dense locations, are in especially high demand.