NEW ORLEANS —
The explosions that took down the cranes at the Hard Rock Hotel were strong enough to move earth, but, thankfully, there was little damage outside of the footprint of the hotel.
During a press conference City officials gave after the crane demolition, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell told reporters the three windows at the Saenger Theater were broken, but utilities there were undamaged.
The crane that was closest to Iberville Street remained lodged in the middle of North Rampart on Sunday afternoon, but it did not seem to pierce major gas and electric lines that run along the street.
New Orleans Fire Department Chief Tim McConnell said a sewer line was damaged.
“That was the least of our worries,” McConnell said. “We prepared for it. The Sewerage & Water Board had a plan to re-route it.
The next major questions are why did this happen and what's next for the corner? The first question could take years to answer, but Mayor Cantrell said she had an answer for the question about the future.
“To be clear, I don't want anything salvaged on this site,” the mayor said. “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.