NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) – Metro officials met with business owners and residents on Sunday morning to discuss the timeline for returning to Second Avenue N.
More than 41 buildings near Second Avenue N. were damaged. Much of the area has been closed off as the investigation continues and residents and entrepreneurs have not yet been able to return.
There are 250 FBI agents in Nashville searching the rubble to discover evidence of the explosion.
At a Monday night press conference, MNPD Deputy Head Chris Taylor set out the timeline for the reopening of that area.
Watch the press conference below:
Once the FBI releases an area, meaning it has been removed from the agency’s active investigation, public works and structural engineers will inspect the building.
Public works will remove debris and place fences to limit movement for safety purposes, then Metro codes will inspect the area with engineers who will determine if a building is safe enough to walk through.
After that step, the area will be handed over to the fire brigade and police, who will guide entrepreneurs and residents.
A group of about 20 entrepreneurs, residents and landowners has six hours on Tuesday to inspect the area. Those allowed to return have already been notified.
Metro police said it could be another seven days before the area is reopened to business owners and residents. They will be contacted individually for information on when they can return to the area.
The FBI’s victim support services will provide counseling, relocation assistance, and help with paperwork to file a claim for restitution for those affected by the explosion.
Taylor said the photos do not fully show the extent of the damage.
“Even if you’ve seen it in pictures and from a drone, it doesn’t include it because it’s hard to realize this happened in Nashville,” Taylor said. “It’s very discouraging, it really hurts you to see it in your own city, especially in the middle of it as it is.”