New Orleans Fast-Tracking Demolition of Hard Rock Hotel

After months of controversy and public outcry around the crumbling Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans, there finally might be an end in sight.

The New Orleans Fire Department has issued an order mandating that the building be torn down. Before that though, three adjacent buildings must be demolished before the hotel is ultimately taken down.

Fire Chief Tim McConnell could not give an exact timeline as to when the buildings would be torn down but did say the remains of two workers' bodies trapped inside should be removed from the rubble by July.

“These orders were posted under the authority of our Superintendent with my support, clearing the way for the Hard Rock site to be demolished. From my perspective there are no more excuses from 1031, it is time to move forward immediately,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell said. “We have issued a conditional permit which gives 1031 what they need to move forward. I do not want to take the families of the victims through any more obstacles to get this building taken down. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to retrieve the remains of our people.”

Of course, the Hard Rock Hotel partially collapsed back in October, killing two workers. Over a half year later, the bodies still haven't been recovered due to the instability of the building.