Louisiana calls halt on planned New Orleans blast.
The movable feast that is the implosion of New Orleans’ Palace Hotel has moved once again.
State officials Wednesday again put off the implosion of the old Grand Palace Hotel on the corner of Canal Street and South Claiborne Avenue, citing incomplete mitigation of hazardous materials in the 17-story-building that occupies a corner of the future University Medical Center footprint in Mid-City.
The announcement came hours after the former owners of the property asked Orleans Parish Civil District Judge Ethel Simms Julien to block the previously scheduled Dec. 18 implosion and return the property to their firm, Thoron. Their suit argues that the state’s taking of the property was unconstitutional given that no part of UMC will actually sit on the land.
A written statement from the Louisiana Division of Administration said “the postponement decision was made independent of and is unrelated to a court motion seeking to halt the demolition.” A new date will be announced, the statement said, when “abatement issues are resolved.” By law, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality must certify that asbestos has been adequately mitigated before any demolition.
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