NEW ORLEANS —
1031 Canal Development LLC, the developer of the Hard Rock Hotel, said it wants to demolish the partially-collapsed building piece by piece, but the city said it’s not in favor of that plan.
The developer had planned to implode the building, but a problem with insurance led to the proposed change in plans.
D.H. Griffin was not able to get the $50 million in insurance it would need to implode the building, 1031 Canal Development said in a statement Monday.
A lawsuit D.H. Griffin filed, in which it seeks to be freed from its discussions with 1031 Canal Development, said they were only able to get $22 million in insurance.
Now, 1031 Canal Development is seeking to revert to a slower traditional demolition process.
“The city is not in support of the newest plan put forward by the ownership,” City Hall spokesman Beau Tidwell said Monday evening.
An original plan to demolish the building would’ve taken almost a year.
Implosion, while more expensive for 1031 Canal Development, would’ve meant the site could be cleared months sooner.
On Monday, the city’s code enforcement department fined 1031 Canal Development $7,575 because of a laundry list of violations, including sanitation, structure and foundation problems.
Daily fines of $500 per violation could be doled out if the problems are not fixed in the next 30 days.
The building collapsed on Oct. 12, killing three people and injuring dozens more.
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