NEW ORLEANS — Café du Monde, one of New Orleans' most iconic establishments, closed abruptly on Friday as police officers and fire crews cordoned off the area due to structural concerns at the French Market.
When WWL Louisiana arrived at the historic cafe, police officers and fire crews were at the scene, keeping passersby away at a safe distance. Cafe du Monde posted to its Facebook page that it would be closed for the rest of the day and hope to reopen Saturday.
New Orleans Fire Department Superintendent Roman Nelson told WWL that crews were called when the French Market building superintendent noticed "a deflection between the wall and the roof line." The call prompted crews to call a structural engineer and a construction company to inspect the issue in further detail.
When crews inspected the attic, support pillars appeared to be split, and that wooden rafter beams appeared to be split or separated, Nelson said.
"We came out in an abundance of caution because of gas lines running through the building and electrical lines that are connected to those rafters and building supports," Nelson told WWL. "We wanted to make sure there was no fire risk."
"We are in an old building, as everyone knows," Jay Roman, owner of Cafe du Monde said. "... (in the attic) it's all old timber ... and there's not a nail in the attic. It's all dowel lumber and they were starting to split in one of the timbers."
"We expect to be open first thing tomorrow morning," Roman said.
The City of New Orleans said in a news release that "Decatur Street, from St. Peter Street to Dumaine Street, is experiencing heavy traffic delays due to ongoing issues with the French Market building."
Decatur Street reopened around 4 p.m. Friday.
The building has been secured with gas and electrical lines shut off, and the area was evacuated, Nelson said.
Crews will remain on site for several hours to ensure the building's safety and minimize risks. Streets are expected to reopen once the structure is deemed safe.
"We'll be on the scene through the evening to make sure the building is safe," Nelson said.
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