NEW ORLEANS — After the Hard Rock cranes came down Sunday, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell made it clear she doesn’t want anything left on the site.
“We want a complete demolition. And while it's under the authority right now of the city of New Orleans, that will be our focus and that will be our mission,” she said.
And the law seems to be on her side.
City law says that in an emergency situation, the director of the Department of Safety and Permits can order a demolition. That can happen if public safety could be at risk.
“We haven’t heard of any objections yet by the developer or anyone else,” said Eyewitness News legal analyst Chick Foret. “If they object, they would go into court to try and stop the city from moving forward.”
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Cantrell has said the city is spending upwards of $400,000 a day on the clean-up efforts. Foret said the city ultimately will not be on the hook for any of the costs.
“The city of New Orleans A) doesn't have the money and B) is not going to be legally obligated at the end of the day to pay for the costs incurred,” he said. “Those costs will be passed on to the developers or anyone else who claims some interest in the property.”
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