Chaos barely averted—this was the scene in New Orleans' French Quarter yesterday afternoon as part of a historic building gave way, sending bricks and debris crashing down onto the sidewalk of St. Louis Street. The New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) swiftly responded to the emergency, arriving on location within minutes of the call to 911. According to a press release from the NOFD, the event occurred at 520 St. Louis Street, involving a partial collapse of the Kurt E. Schon, LTD Building, a four-story edifice with an art studio on the ground level and residence above.
While workers were tending to the building's gutter system, pieces of its facade began to unravel and descend upon the street below. The NOFD, dispatched at 12:50 p.m. yesterday, reached the scene by 12:52 p.m., described how "Concrete and brick fascia materials, as well as roofing members" had plummeted. However, they reported, "there were no pedestrians or vehicles in harm’s way at the time," a stroke of luck on a typically bustling thoroughfare. The NOFD press release offered these details on the incident.
Out of the three occupied apartments in the structure, only one resident was home when the facade crumbled outward. The safety of the remaining occupants was immediately accounted for by emergency personnel. In response to the collapse, the city's Office of Code Enforcement and Safety and Permits arrived at the scene to assess the damage and structural integrity of the building. They concluded that contractors on the site will be permitted to remove any elements that might pose a continued risk of collapse.
Officials have sealed off the 500 block of St. Louis Street, ensuring no traffic or pedestrian access until the potential hazards can be eliminated and the area is deemed secure. This will not only facilitate the ongoing cleanup operation but also expedite the process of stabilizing the building's weakened structure, spearheaded by contractors. The NOFD's press release clarified this aspect by adding, "The 500 block of St. Louis Street will remain closed until this incident has been mitigated and deemed safe for public access."
