NEW ORLEANS — Updating reporters on the Hard Rock Hotel collapse site for the first time in days, city officials assure the public that progress is being made despite very little change at the collapse site.
New Orleans Fire Chief Tim McConnell told reporters the collapse site is still a very dangerous building, during a press conference.
"The building collapsed, and we don't know why," McConnell said. "We're afraid of another collapse."
McConnell said officials were holding daily meetings with all parties involved to move forward as quickly as possible while keeping the area around the collapse site safe.
"There is nobody pushing harder than the city for this to happen quickly, but it takes time," McConnell said.
Finding qualified contractors to develop a safe demolition plan wasn't easy, but four different contractors from across the country were on site Tuesday, the fire chief said.
"Hopefully, we'll have some of these (demolition) proposals by Friday," McConnell said. "I want to assure everybody. There is progress being made."
The first priority officials have is keeping the public safe from further harm around the collapse site, McConnell said. The second is recovering the remains of the two individuals that are still within the site.
Any demolition plans submitted by contractors must include whether or not the remains can safely be recovered, and how to do so.
While city personnel has worked to keep people safe, the city will not demolish the building.
"It's the owner's responsibility to get this done," McConnell said. "It's our responsibility to keep it safe."
Part of the city's responsibility of keeping the area safe included helping businesses near the site to soften the blow from the building collapse, said Colin Arnold, the city's director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
The City has shrunk down safety areas and reopened streets around the site as much as possible, allowing more residents and businesses to go back to normal, Arnold said.
City officials are working with the State of Louisiana to get relief loans to affected businesses from the Small Business Administration, Arnold said.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the property developers and their insurers were represented in daily meetings with City officials, so that action can be taken as quickly as possible, officials said.
"Once a plan is selected by the property owner and the City, it'll move forward," McConnel said. "This will be the fastest process to an agreement on a plan."
OSHA is leading the ongoing investigation into the collapse, McConnell said.