Published: Sep. 24, 2024 at 5:01 PM CDT NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - After a building collapsed on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard over the weekend, residents and business owners are questioning why the city did not take action sooner. Wilbert Williams, owner of Supreme Design barber shop located across the street from the collapse site, witnessed the event. “It sounded like the storm that just passed us, Francine. The wind was real powerful. It was devastating,” Williams said. The building, which has since been demolished by the city’s code enforcement department, had long been a source of concern. In the four years Williams has operated at his current location, he says he’s never seen any work done to maintain the property. “I feel like the city needs to do a better job. I feel like the building should have been torn down. I’m glad no one lost their lives,” Williams added. According to city records, the property had numerous code violations and complaints dating back to 2010 and had been declared a public nuisance with unsafe conditions. So why wasn’t it torn down sooner? A spokesperson for Mayor LaToya Cantrell said that the building’s information was purged from the city system during efforts to reduce an “old case backlog.” In an emailed statement, the spokesperson explained that due to the “unintended consequences” of a departmental purge process, the property was purged before it was scheduled for an inspection hearing. Blighted properties in New Orleans have long been a source of tension, with some owners challenging how the city manages demolitions.