The New Orleans City Council has created a special committee to hold hearings on the collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel which left three dead. The hotel remains still in a state of partial collapse on the edge of the French Quarter. Current plans call for a controlled demolition of the hotel in late March under a plan by demolition contractor D.H. Griffin Cos.

Council member Jason Williams issued a press release proposing a special temporary committee to investigate the collapse. “I truly hoped that the early initial investigations into the circumstances surrounding the Hard Rock collapse, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inquiry, would have produced desperately needed answers by now. I am disappointed at the pace. Out of respect for the other ongoing inquiries, I originally thought it best to wait for other formal investigations to proceed. It is now abundantly clear that we as a city can no longer delay action on this matter. “

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell refused to send any city staff to the Jan. 29 meeting in which the special committee was created. ”Your decision to move forward … is ill advised at this time as it puts the timely demoloition and ongoing investigation of the site at-risk. After three months of very hard work, we are closer than ever to the successful demolition of the structure.”