Crews assess damage day after collapse of Holladay pickleball building under renovation
HOLLADAY, Utah (KUTV) — People in hard hats were on site of the stunning Holladay building collapse Friday, while figures who may be key to restoration or demolition kept a firm lid on making statements about the disaster.
The curious came to look and take photos of the caved-in roof along Highland Drive - the tallest part of a strip mall that, at separate times, housed movie theaters, an orthopedic clinic, and a credit union.
Shalimar Serrano first saw the damage from a distance Thursday evening, but up close Friday described it as “a lot worse” than what she thought.
“It’s pretty scary to see such a big collapse,” Serrano said.
MORE: Commercial building under renovation partially collapses in Holladay; no injuries reported
Rachel Jensen, who manages a hair salon just feet to the south of the collapsed building, opened the back door to a debris field.
“When you were here in person, and you saw it for the first time, what were your thoughts?” 2News asked Jensen.
“Oh gosh,” she said. “How long is it going to take to clean up?”
A contractor working on renovating the space for indoor pickleball courts may have accidentally struck a weight-bearing wall, leading to the collapse.
2News contacted representatives of the Woodbury property management company, a building restoration firm, and the City of Holladay’s economic development director, John Teerlink.
Among other things, we asked if the building could somehow be restored, or will it have to be torn down.
Teerlink sent a records request form. Woodbury would not comment.
Salt Lake County property records list the owner of the structure, and most of the rest of the strip mall, as Creekside Place LC, which has the same business address as Woodbury. State records show Creekside’s registered agent is Walker Kennedy III, who according to the Woodbury website, is senior vice president and general counsel of Woodbury Corporation.
An observer suspected insurance companies for the tenant and contractor—no one would confirm their names—will soon be at the building for a look.
Meantime, businesses in the popular shopping area, evacuated Thursday because of concerns over a gas leak from the building collapse, were back open on Friday.
