Tag: Anthony Magrette

NOFD orders demolition of Hard Rock Hotel, adjacent structures

An order to demolish the Hard Rock Hotel and several historic buildings adjacent structures was issued Tuesday by New Orleans Fire Superintendent Tim McConnell.

The order comes as the June 1 start of hurricane season approaches and amid public pressure towards city officials to take immediate action to retrieve two dead bodies still trapped inside the collapsed hotel.

The hotel’s upper floors collapsed on the morning of Oct. 12, killing three construction workers Jose Ponce Arreola, Quinnyon Wimberly and Anthony Magrette.

The bodies of Arreola and Wimberly have remain trapped inside the condemned structure for more than six months as the city and 1031 Canal St., the hotel’s developers, have deferred responsibility to each other for the demolition of the building.

Hard Rock Hotel New Orleans construction crane collapses, killing at least one person

“These orders were posted under the authority of our Superintendent with my support, clearing the way for the Hard Rock site to be demolished,” said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “We have issued a conditional permit which gives 1031 what they need to move forward.

“I do not want to take the families of the victims through any more obstacles to get this building taken down,” she said. “At the end of the day, the most important thing is to retrieve the remains of our people.”

An independent analysis submitted by the developers confirmed the need to demolish the adjacent structures at 1022 Iberville Street and 1019, 1027 and 1027 Canal streets in order to safely level the Hard Rock Hotel, according to city spokeswoman LaTonya Norton.

Applications to demolish the adjacent structures were filed by the developers for consideration before the Central Business District Historic District Landmarks Commission on Wednesday, but the applications were withdrawn due to McConnell’s order.

HDLC staff previously recommended the commission deny the demo applcations for the buildings located at 1019-1025 and 1027 Canal streets due to their historical significance, but the emergency order declared on the Hard Rock structure allows McConnell to override the commission’s decision.

The demolition plans call for the Hard Rock to be demolished piecemeal using cranes and the bodies could be retrieved in about 30 days, according to The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate.

“The proximity of the nearby historic structures, narrowness of Iberville Street and distance of the collapsed building from Burgundy Street require precise positioning of demolition cranes within the footprint of the four adjacent structures if the collapsed building is to be safety demolished,” McConnell wrote in his order.

“Should a major storm strike the city during the upcoming hurricane season, the risk of further collapse of the unsafe and unstable structure would be greatly exacerbated,” McConnell said.

Read the full order:

HDLC staff recommend denial for building demos next to collapsed Hard Rock Hotel

Plans to demolish two historic French Quarter buildings adjacent to the condemned Hard Rock Hotel are recommended for denial when the matter goes before the Center Business District Historic District Landmarks Commission, which is slated to hear the matter at its scheduled meeting on Wednesday.

The applications request approval to level three buildings located at 1019-1025 Canal St, 1027 Canal St. and 1022 Iberville St., whose owner seeks to raze the structures in order to “safely” demolish its other property, the partially-collapsed Hard Rock Hotel.

The buildings owner, 1031 Canal St. LLC, was developing the Hard Rock before its upper floors collapsed on Oct. 12, 2019, killing three construction workers Anthony Magrette, Jose Ponce Arreola, Quinnyon Wimberly and injuring dozens more.

Both New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the hotel’s developers have faced mounting pressure to retrieve the bodies of Wimberly and Arreola, which remained trapped inside the rubble.

A Vieux From Toulouse

District officials recommended that the commission deny applications for two of the buildings — located at 1019-1025 Canal St. and 1027 Canal St. — due to their historical significance and good structural conditions, according to staff reports.

A third demolition application for a two-story vacant office building at 1022 Iberville St. was recommended for approval.

Commissioners will ultimately vote to approve or deny the applications at their scheduled meeting, which starts at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and can be viewed remotely online.

The buildings, which were constructed over a hundred years ago but still retain their integrity, played roles in development of city’s jazz and theater scenes during the early 20th century, according to staff reports, which also noted that renovation was not considered as part of the demolition plans.

“Staff has concerns about the precedent that would be set by the demolition of [these] structures, as well as the effect on the character of the historic Canal Street that would result with future large scale developments,” the reports said.

“Unless the applicant can sufficiently demonstrate that all options have been exhausted and the safe demolition of 1031 Canal St. is impossible using other means, staff recommends denial of the demolition request[s].”

One notable tenant in the 1019-1025 Canal St. building was the “No Name Theater,” which featured vaudeville acts and some of the earliest motion pictures.

Demolition permits filed for three buildings adjacent to the Hard Rock Hotel

Jazz and ragtime musicians were also featured at the building, which was once considered as a potential National Historic Landmark in 1993.

Because the building still retains some original features, such as its 1920s cornice with decorative grilles on the parapet, the report suggested that other historic features can be preserved.

Replacing the building would be a “difficulty” and “impossibility” because of its design, according to the report.

“The building has links to the city’s rich jazz culture and history that deserve further exploration,” staff wrote.

Similarly, the 1027 Canal St. building edifice was modified with several features, such as the Art Deco exterior that was included around the same time Rubinstein’s opened in the 1930s.

The building once housed the Alamo Theater, which served as a venue for early motion pictures, live bands and was also considered for historic landmark status, according to the staff report.

Body left in Hard Rock Hotel collapse exposed after tarp falls off, then re-covered; Friday protest planned at City Hall

Body left in Hard Rock Hotel collapse exposed after tarp falls off, then re-covered; Friday protest planned at City Hall

The body of a victim killed by the Hard Rock Hotel collapse was re-covered by a tarp by New Orleans city crews Wednesday after the previous one blew off and exposed the remains.

Photos of the body showing its legs dangling off the side of the collapsed portion of the hotel emerged on social media earlier this week, sparking outrage.

The hotel partially collapsed on the morning of Oct. 12, killing Anthony Magrette, 49; Quinnyon Wimberly, 36; and Jose Ponce Arreola, 63; and injuring dozens more.

The bodies of Wimberly and Arreola are still trapped inside.

In a Facebook post on Jan. 22, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the conditions of the collapse have deteriorated since October, making access to the remains “extremely difficult and very dangerous.”

She added that the body of one victim is embedded in highly unstable debris 11 stories above street level and adjusting the tarp to re-cover the body again a “significant safety challenge.”

A new, yellow-colored tarp was placed over the body by city crews on the same day, according to WVUE.

Shortly before the body was uncovered, Cantrell took to social media to scold those who took pictures of the exposed body.

The outrage was shared across social media, except it was directed at Cantrell and other officials, as well as the owner of the collapsed site, Mohan Kailas.

A protest reportedly organized by Trey Monaghan will organize in front of the collapse site near the corner of Canal and North Rampart streets Friday afternoon, according to The Gambit, and march to City Hall. The protest starts at 3 p.m.

WGNO reported that 1031 Canal Development LLC, which owns the Hard Rock property, said the city has control of the site.

During a Jan. 17 press conference, Cantrell said the building could be demolished as early as March and added that retrieving the trapped bodies is her “top priority.”

D.H. Griffin Companies will be managing the demolition of the hotel, Cantrell said, and is “more than confident” that the contractor can safely implode the building.

Zulu, Endymion parades rerouted around French Quarter due to Hard Rock collapse

Zulu parade in 2013. Photo: Derek Bridges | Flickr CC

The 2020 parades for the krewes of Zulu and Endymion will be rerouted around the French Quarter due to the Hard Rock Hotel collapse, a New Orleans city spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Routes for Endymion and Zulu were modified this Mardi Gras season for public safety reasons due to the hotel collapse, said spokeswoman LaTonya Norton.

The Hard Rock Hotel partially collapsed on the morning of Oct. 12, killing Anthony Magrette, 49; Quinnyon Wimberly, 36; and Jose Ponce Arreola, 63.

An evacuation zone that prohibits public from passing through includes several streets surrounding the hotel, including the corner of North Rampart and Canal streets, which were traditionally part of the Zulu and Endymion parade routes.

This year’s Endymion parade route, which begins at City Park and Orleans avenue, will pass down Canal Street but hook a right down Elk Street, continue to Poydras Street, then turn left and continue to wind its way through the Central Business District until it reaches Julia Street and Convention Center Boulevard.

Zulu’s parade, which begins at Claiborne and Jackson avenues, will make its way to St. Charles Avenue and turn left on Poydras Street, then right onto Loyola Avenue and continue past Canal Street, completely avoiding the French Quarter.

The parades for Endymion and Zulu begin at 4:15 p.m. on Feb. 22 and 8 a.m. on Feb. 25, respectively.

Maps for the modified routes are available on routewise.nola.gov.

Residents and visitors are also encouraged to text MARDIGRAS to 888777 to receive updates on parade schedules, transportation impacts, public safety, and weather information directly from the city.

Demolition permits filed for three buildings adjacent to the Hard Rock Hotel

Permits were filed to demolish a handful of structures near the Hard Rock building, according to the Vieux Carre Property Owners, Residents, and Associates (VCPORA).

Demolition permits were filed for three addresses, according to VCPORA, and they include: 1019 Canal St., 1027 Canal St. and 1022 Iberville St.

The permits for the Canal properties show they are “located in the Red zone” of the Hard Rocket Hotel at 1031 Canal St. and demolition of the structures are “necessary to facilitate demolition operations and planning required” at the partially collapsed building.

The Hard Rock Hotel partially collapsed on Oct. 12 at 9:12 a.m., according to various reports, killing three workers, injuring dozens more and strewing debris near the intersection of Canal and North Rampart streets.

Several videos of the collapse emerged hours later on social media.

The cause of the collapse is still under investigation.

A partial implosion of the building on Oct. 20 toppled the construction cranes, leaving one dangling and the other crashing down onto North Rampart Street.

But the remainder of the building remains standing. The hotel project reportedly cost $85 million.

The two Canal street buildings are owned by LLCs registered to the same officer and manager of the Hard Rock property, VCPORA said.

The developer listed for the Hard Rock building and adjacent properties is listed as 1031 Canal Development LLC, which wants to demolish the 18-story Hard Rock building and adjacent structures.

The demolition requests will appear for approval before the Jan. 8, 2020 meeting of the Central Business District Historical District Landmarks Commission.

“We seriously question the need for further removal of this block and are trying to find out more,” VCPORA said on its Facebook page Dec. 18.

The Oct. 12 collapse killed Anthony Magrette, 49; Quinnyon Wimberly, 36; and Jose Ponce Arreola, 63.

The bodies of Wimberly and Ponce were reported to still be trapped inside the rubble, according to The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate.

The newspaper reported that relatives of those who were killed in the collapsed have filed lawsuits against the groups behind the construction–including 1031 Canal Development LLC and Citadel Builders.

Delmer Joel Ramirez Palma, a Honduran national and Hard Rock worker who survived the collapse and later voiced his concerns to investigators, was deported on Nov. 29, WWLTV reported.