Rio Grande Depot Temporarily Closed Because of Earthquake Damage

This post was updated March 23.

The Rio Grande Depot will remain closed to the public and employees while the building undergoes repairs following the March 18 earthquake in the Salt Lake valley.

Much of the earthquake damage was plaster chucks falling from the interior walls that had lead paint. The resulting dust has made the building unsafe to enter until HazMat crews can clean the building.

There is also some structural damage that will need repaired, although engineers have not found anything that would prevent the building from reopening in the future.

There is currently no timeline for the repairs to be completed.

No employees were injured in the March 18 earthquake, and very few people were in the building at the time of the earthquake. The historic artifacts stored in the basement of the Depot did not suffer any significant damage.

The Research Center was previously closed because to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The Winter Market, normally held on Saturdays, will also be canceled for the remainder of the season.