HALIFAX -- After weeks of planning and securing, finally, the mangled mess of a construction crane that toppled onto a Halifax building during post-tropical storm Dorian is coming down.

Removing the crane is an engineering feat and there are no previous plans to consult when it comes to a project like this

It's dangerous and unpredictable.

"I really want to thank the workers that are up there, risking their lives really," said Nova Scotia Transportation Minister Lloyd Hines."If you go up there and see that basket hanging 200 feet in the air, it's a tricky situation."

Monday, some of the most visible parts of the crane were removed.

The front jib, the counterweight jib, and the top portion of the front boom were peeled off the Olympus building, giving a small group of residents and business owners access to their property.

"It's been tremendously difficult for those businesses that can't get in," said Sue Uteck of the Spring Garden Area Business Association."Thumpers, Thornbloom, to access their product, Walker Dunlop that can't get in to access their servers and legal files, they've had to cancel court dates. Stillwell that had to close early, the Dairy Bar, they really count on those September sales."

Other business operators in the area are hopeful they too will soon be granted access to their workplaces.

"We're a little bit relieved. We had sort of mentally prepared ourselves to not get back until sometime in November, so the fact that this is moving ahead and we are starting to see some possibility of maybe even being able to get into our office next week is really encouraging," said Eugene Tan, a lawyer with Walker Dunlop.

There's still a large portion of the crane suspended from the back of the building, and with another windstorm on the way later this week, crews are working fast.

"The biggest variable we have is weather," Hines said. "That's what gave us this gift in the first place. and that's why we have to be very careful about what we're doing here now so we are keeping a very close eye on that."

Something else under scrutiny is the cost; the minister says there's no word yet on the final tally.

In the coming days the support cranes will be positioned to get in place to cut and remove the main tower, which is expected to happen Saturday, weather permitting. With high winds in the forecast, many are worried that timeline will be extended.