When I first heard the phrase “Hard Rock Hotel collapse” over the weekend, I thought something had gone awry in the final stages of Hard Rock Hollywood, set to open Oct. 24. But no, it was a Hard Rock project in New Orleass that tragically crumpled, killing two and injuring 30. So precarious was the situation in the Big Easy (feeling more than a bit uneasy) that search-and-rescue operations were halted during the nighttime hours, as a 110-ton crane was trucked in from Baton Rouge to stabilize the shaky building. “This is not something you take lightly,” said New Orleans Fire Chief Tim McConnell. As of yesterday, the two dead still remained on the building, it being too dangerous to remove them.
“After search and rescue, it will shift into a full-investigative mode and we will be relentless in those efforts moving forward,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell, adding that the building had been “up to code.” In the meantime, the crane that gave way is tilting from one side of the building, complicating relief efforts. Among the lesser victims was a touring production of Wicked, cancelled when debris caused serious damage to the nearby Saenger Theater. For its part, Hard Rock International said it had “no involvement in the construction of the project,” which hardly seems the most courageous response under the circumstances. Meanwhile, city officials are bracing themselves (and the structure, presumably) against the possibility of a second collapse.
* Meanwhile, in Greece, Hard Rock is trying to fend off an Inspire-d charge from Mohegan Sun. The latter is proposing a two-tower, Inspire-branded megaresort for the Hellenikon former airport site. (The winning project will be tabbed next month.) Mohegan Sun is pitching a 7,000-job project that would eventually encompass 120 table games and 1,200 slots: small by American standards but big by European ones. Mohegan CEO Mario Kontomerkos says his company has been preparing the ground for this for two years. Paul Steelman has outdone himself with this design. Your move, Hard Rock.
