President-elect Donald Trump will be safe at Trump Tower, but security measures could cause unprecedented burdens for the public, a Secret Service agent told NBC News.
Law enforcement agencies are meeting this week to discuss plans for further securing the 58-story skyscraper, which is located in the heart of Manhattan, including the possibility of closing lanes on Fifth Avenue.
Security at the building was already increased after Trump won the Republican nomination, with everyone entering the building having to show identification.
And now that Trump is president-elect, SWAT teams, barricades and sand-filled trucks are already a regular presence at the site, and the sky above it is a no-fly zone until the inauguration at least.
The scenario is complicated even more with Trump reportedly considering spending as much time as possible at his $100-million penthouse in the tower rather than move into the White House full-time when he takes office.
The Telegraph reports that the Secret Service has said that would be a security nightmare and has strongly suggested he take up residence full-time at the White House.
Trump Tower has hundreds of tenants in 263 apartments, as well as 26 floors of offices and a five-story public atrium with a variety of stores.
"It's an unprecedented challenge," former New York City police commissioner William Bratton told NBC News. "You are in one of the busiest cities in the world, on one of the busiest streets in the world, and one of the most well-known buildings in the world."
Other presidents have also had used retreats to get away from the White House, but those were in easily protected locations, such as the compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, or the ranch in Crawford, Texas, for the Bush presidencies.
Bratton said that in order to secure Trump Tower properly, the public could also face additional restrictions on side streets, bomb-sniffing dogs on the sidewalks, as well as multiple security positions around the building.
He added that when there are large demonstrations, parts of Fifth Avenue may have to be closed down entirely.
A senior NYPD official also said the costs will be "very significant," with other sources telling NBC News it could be in the tens of millions of dollars.
The Secret Service said in a statement that it has a long record of working with the NYPD "involving large-scale complex security operations [and] we will continue to apply creative problem solving with our partners to achieve the highest level of security with the least amount of public impact."
Jonathan Wackrow, who has been a Secret Service agent on three presidential details, said there is no doubt the challenge of securing the site will be met, but conceded to NBC News that the impact on the public in the area could be great.
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