While many are excited to see Rio Grande Mexican Grill add a new location to Northern Colorado, Downtown Loveland does have some old buildings. The Rio seems to have found that out the hard way.
Roof Caves in at Upcoming Rio Grande Location in Loveland
I was out with friends in Downtown Loveland the night of September 30, 2026, when staffers at the bar we were at were talking about how a wall had crumbled inside the spot where Rio is going. It sounded like a story I should write, but I couldn’t get any confirmation, and you couldn’t see any “damage” from the street.
On Thursday, October 1, I reached out to the media contact for The Rio, and they had no comment, so I was stuck. Then, I saw Independence Gallery posting on Facebook that they were closed until further notice “due to the collapse of the building west of us”; that was the confirmation I was looking for. That late afternoon, I went to grab a photo to write this story on Friday, October 2.
Of course, The Reporter-Herald, with actual journalists, had the story up already on their site on Friday morning. They had spoken with Loveland Fire Rescue, which said a construction worker’s machinery hit a support beam, bringing down part of the sub-roof. There were no injuries, but, it’s not safe inside, and not safe for neighbors, Independence Gallery to the east and Lighthouse Dance to the west…