NEW ORLEANS — An attorney for 1031 Canal Development on Wednesday said he believes the remains of two workers still buried in the rubble of the Hard Rock Hotel can be removed as soon as next week.
Kolb Grading, the demolition contractor, last week told the city that issues with robots being used to help with the work caused the delay.
The robots would be used to clear a path for crews to retrieve the remains, said Kerry Miller, who is representing 1031 Canal Development, the Hard Rock’s owner.
Plans originally called for removing the remains of Quinnyon Wimberly by last week and Jose Ponce Areola by the middle of this week.
Miller said the robots, which are remote-controlled, had connectivity issues. He said that problem is now resolved but also blamed rain for any other delays.
He said the first steps in the demolition process stayed on schedule and said that once the bodies are removed, the rest of the work should happen faster.
“We’ll quickly pivot to an old-fashioned demolition,” Miller said.
The recovery of the bodies can’t happen soon enough for the Wimberly family.
“For me to have to pass on the interstate at times, I can't look over that way, because I can't take the pain that he's hanging out the window,” said Irene Wimberly, Quinnyon Wimberly’s mother.
“We are tired of sitting back,” Irene Wimberly continued. “Promises are being made and not carried out.”
During the virtual court hearing Wednesday, Miller told Judge Kern Reese the problems with the robots have been fixed and that work is once again underway to get the bodies.
“We think we've picked up the progress and hopefully the weather forecast is better,” Miller told the court. “The delays came ... because of the issues I discussed.”
The city argued the demolition contractor didn't account for weather or equipment delays.
“Anybody who knows New Orleans in the summer knows you'll have a lot of rain," said attorney Rachel Wisdom, who represents the city. “We want contingency plans.”
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
