Trump Tower Barricades Come Down After 4 Years, $150M

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The militarized zone that has surrounded Trump Tower for more than four years was dismantled this week, as the NYPD removed barricades along Fifth Avenue and 56th Street following Donald Trump's departure from office.

"In partnership with the United States Secret Service the decision was made to remove the barriers around Trump Tower," NYPD spokesperson Detective Annette Shelton said in an email. "The NYPD does not discuss security measures."

The metal barricades and concrete barriers that blocked traffic on 56th Street were taken down Wednesday morning, according to Gothamist, which first reported the move.

The security presence outside the tower, where Trump owns a home, had been in place since before the 2016 election. The measures cost the city more than $150 million, a spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio told Patch last month — although the federal government was expected to reimburse all costs.

Nearby retail businesses also suffered during the yearslong shutdown of vehicle traffic and most pedestrian access to the block, Rob Byrnes, president of the East Midtown Partnership, told Patch last month.

The closures were maintained constantly even though Trump spent little time in New York during his presidency, and moved his primary residence to Florida in 2019.

Ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration, the NYPD said the barricades around Trump Tower would come down within weeks. Byrnes suggested last month that the formerly locked-down blocks could be pedestrianized or converted into a shared street once the NYPD left.

Related coverage: 'Anarchist Jurisdiction' NYC Paid $150M To Keep Trump Safe