UPDATE: Construction halted after Reser’s Tri-Cities plant collapse. Engineers arrive at site

Construction is paused on a new Reser’s Fine Foods plant as experts evaluate the extent of the damage after a section of the frame collapsed Monday afternoon.

A structural engineer and a representative from American Steel were at the site at 5526 N. Capitol Ave. Tuesday to investigate the damage at the building, said Linda Riedman, a company spokeswoman.

“Everyone is grateful that no one was injured,” she said. “Operations have been paused because safety remains a top priority.”

Pasco rescue crews were called to the Capitol Avenue construction site just after 3:30 p.m. when a triangular piece of metal fell in a corner of the building. The collision knocked the framing askew.

One worker was in a construction lift at the center section of the structure, said Ben Shearer with the Pasco Fire Department.

None of the 54 workers on the site were hurt. There were four different contractors onsite at the time.

The cause of the collapse is still under investigation, he said. It’s unclear if the high winds played a role.

About an hour after the first collapse, the northern section of the frame crumbled.

A wind advisory was issued for the Tri-Cities region for Monday afternoon, and gusts of 47 mph were reported in the Tri-Cities area between 3:15 and 4 p.m.

Reser’s is building a 250,000-square-foot potato salad plant at the site. Construction started this summer.

The land sale is part of a combined $4.4 million sale involving Cox Family Land LLC.

Part of the property was sold to the Port of Pasco for a new industrial park and the other acreage was sold to Reser’s. Both paid $80,000 an acre, according to the Tri-Cities Journal of Business.

Restarting construction will depend on the results of the structural engineer’s report, Riedman said. There isn’t any deadline for when that will be finished.

This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 4:49 PM.