Equipment to stabilize the partially collapsed Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans will be arriving next week. New Orleans Fire Chief Tim McConnell says engineers are close to finalizing the plan and the process should be completed near the end of February.
“Basically some framing that goes up, floor by floor by floor. It’s quite a bit of it, but the goal is to make sure that the building will not collapse and cause further damage or loss of life or injury,” said McConnell.
McConnell says the safety of the crews is the number one priority throughout the process of trying to recover the remains of those killed in the October collapse, so stabilization is crucial.
“Then we will take and begin the recovery of the victims’ remains and recovery of evidence. It is a painstaking process,” said McConnel.
McConnell expects demolition crews to be working deep into 2020.
“Getting the final demolition done takes us well after next summer but you will see it shrink as it goes along, so as more of the structure starts to come down and get lower, the site will continue to shrink,” said McConnell.