NEW ORLEANS — The collapse at the Hard Hotel construction site caused not only loss of life but also business.
Now, New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell is trying to get visitors back to the stores, restaurants and hotels that had shut down. The mayor issued a map on Twitter on Monday with a list of businesses that have been affected by the partial collapse.
We visited some of these businesses to see how people can help.
Our first stop: Basin Super Market on Basin Street. It reopened Monday.
“We had to close Saturday, Sunday, all the employees had to stay home,” said owner Nam Dang.
Dang says since reopening, hardly anyone is coming in. He says the caution tape and barricades outside the store don't help.
Just across the street, Magnolia Yoga Studio had to close its doors for four days. Classes are usually fully booked. That's not the case this week. That's why it's welcoming any help from the city in getting people back on the block.
"The efforts are needed, the word needs to get out that we're open, that we're here," said Ajax, the studio’s owner.
Oddly, at QT Pie Boutique on Dauphine Street, business picked up last week.
"I'm not sure if it's because people were re-routed to this side of the quarter when, maybe, they would be on the other side instead," said manager Miranda Argrave.
The manager says Halloween season is their busiest time of the year. Even with steady traffic coming through the store, Argrave says the collapse is still causing confusion.
"I think a lot of people are confused right now what's open, what's not open, tourists don't know where actually they can go or where they can't go,” said Argrave.
If you find yourself coming near the collapse site any time soon, the city and a lot of the workers down here want to remind you that they're open for business.
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