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Extreme Ogden — Railroad city rebuilds itself through extreme sports
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Enthusiastic Morganite | 8:46 a.m. Nov. 8, 2007
GO OGDEN!!!!
You can recreate yourself! I am with you all the way!!!
You can recreate yourself! I am with you all the way!!!
JP | 10:00 a.m. Nov. 8, 2007
Great work Ogden - glad to see so much happening up there. Keep the momentum up!
Comments continue below
Joe | 10:10 a.m. Nov. 8, 2007
Not enough Restaurants in Ogden. Have to go to Riverdale to find any
national-chain restaurants--and those are always packed! Ogden needs to add
more eating choices in the Junction.
Best Comment Yet | 10:58 a.m. Nov. 8, 2007
Odgen is no longer the armpit of Utah. Downtown ROCKS. I work in the
city's center and am delighted with how the Salomon Center has turned out.
I love bringing my visitors to Ogden-- the new movie theatre is amazing, the
little shops on 25th are still kicking, and indoor skydiving? Are you kidding?
How cool is that? And FYI 'Joe' there is life beyond the national
chain restaurant-- Union Station has always been my favorite. El Matador has
killer chips & salsa.
Joe? | 11:11 a.m. Nov. 8, 2007
Why drive to eat the same meal yet one more time at some lifeless chain
restaurant when you can eat at one of the many locally owned restaurants lining
25th Street? One of Ogden's main charms is the lack of chain restaurants
downtown. Who needs 'em?
inARIZONA | 11:58 a.m. Nov. 8, 2007
good for ogden - i've always seen it's potential and can't wait
til my next trip back to see all the progress and try out some of the cool new
things!
KP | 12:05 p.m. Nov. 8, 2007
Ten years ago I interviewed for a job in Ogden, and while I grew up there, I
couldn't bring myself to move back and passed on the job. It's good to
see what has happened since. If Mayor Godfrey ends up losing the election, I
hope the new mayor will have enough sense not to turn her back on what has been
accomplished.
Ryan | 1:19 p.m. Nov. 8, 2007
Um... KP.. the election was yesterday, and Godfrey did win.
I think it's a good thing. Many people were skeptical about the price tag on The Junction/Salomon center (justifiably so), but you've got to take risks and do things that aren't being done in other places.
Personally, I love what they're doing. When they tore down the old mall, I thought "Great. More space to build cheap Chinese buffets, Dollar stores, and Payday Loan stores." That's all we've ever had in Ogden. The key will be getting people from all over to come up and use the facilities, because it won't survive on local patronage alone.
I also worry about how it will do during the winter. Some of the activities (particularly the surfing) may not seem so appealing when it's 30 degrees outside. Or maybe it will, who knows? The consumer is a fickle beast.
The arcade is kind of lame, I'm sorry to say. Too many stupid ticket-winning games. I think the bumper car attraction will be gone by next year, too.
I think it's a good thing. Many people were skeptical about the price tag on The Junction/Salomon center (justifiably so), but you've got to take risks and do things that aren't being done in other places.
Personally, I love what they're doing. When they tore down the old mall, I thought "Great. More space to build cheap Chinese buffets, Dollar stores, and Payday Loan stores." That's all we've ever had in Ogden. The key will be getting people from all over to come up and use the facilities, because it won't survive on local patronage alone.
I also worry about how it will do during the winter. Some of the activities (particularly the surfing) may not seem so appealing when it's 30 degrees outside. Or maybe it will, who knows? The consumer is a fickle beast.
The arcade is kind of lame, I'm sorry to say. Too many stupid ticket-winning games. I think the bumper car attraction will be gone by next year, too.
Vern | 2:37 p.m. Nov. 8, 2007
My nephew came to visit a couple of weeks ago and we took him to the Junction.
His comment: "I wished they something like this in San Jose. . ." Now
that SLC has a Davis county friendly mayor, prideful "Laytonites" or
whatever that was can support their "high end" businesses. We'll
continue to support our Mayberry town.
larry | 3:31 p.m. Nov. 8, 2007
The elections are still non conclusive Ryan, but the truth is there is a core of
dedicated, involved people who will work with whatever administration is in
place to keep Ogden moving forward. I salute the GOAL Foundation for it's
vision and vigor and the local business people who keep making good things
happen in Ogden.
Ogdenite | 4:08 p.m. Nov. 8, 2007
Larry is right, Ryan. Provisional and absentee ballots will not be counted until
11/13/07 and the election is too close to call. Godfrey may have been
instrumental in helping to foster growth and turn things around, but you need to
give credit to PRIVATE businesses locating here too- especially those who are
doing it without the public being responsible for building them new facilities.
Taxpayers are responsible for making payments on the Salomon Center if the
lessee defaults.
Aaron | 6:36 p.m. Nov. 8, 2007
I live in Arizona, and first heard about Ogden in an Adventure magazine. I
drove (twelve hours) up to Ogden with my 13-year-old son and went crazy for it!
I met some wonderful real estate people, Larry and Bill with Provedent Partners
Real Estate. I made some real estate investments with their help and I know it
will pan out just great! I am very excited!
Nancy Seraphin | 9:43 a.m. Nov. 9, 2007
I moved from Park City to the Upper Ogden Valley (where Snowbasin, Powder Mtn.
and Wolf Mountain are) because of the incredible natural beauty of the area and
the incredible recreation. Then I began to feel the buzz of Mayor Godfrey's
high adventure vision and knew I had made the right decision. Now, the hip city
of Ogden and the resort areas in the Uppper ogden Valley are working in unison
to bring sporting and high adventure events to augement the excitement of all
the ski related firms that have moved here and added to the "hipness"
of the region. I took my stepdaugher Lindsey Van, who is the #2 Nordic Ski
Jumper in the world, to the Salomon Center last week and she was blown away. She
competes all over the world and she said it was the "coolest place"
she'd EVER been. She can't wait to come climb the ice tower when
it's complete.Great article Ray! You nailed it!
Janice | 10:23 a.m. Nov. 9, 2007
Go Ogden! It's about time to get life in this quaint town. If I was
planning an exciting vacation to a new spot, I'd certainly give this area a
try!
OgdenConvert | 10:23 a.m. Nov. 9, 2007
Thank You Mayor Godfrey....You are a visionary and it seems the good times have
just begun to roll for the renaissance of our wonderful town.
Larry B. | 1:47 p.m. Nov. 10, 2007
What an amazing transformation! Mayor Godfrey deserves the lion's share of
the thanks, yes there have been many contributing, however, IT takes a visionary
and he is the principle one who dogged the ski companies, fought and won many
battles with the no growth, stick your head in the sand old guard who are so
afraid of success that they attempt to stand in the way of progress or change.
We now have wonderful new opportunities for our youth, high paying jobs,
national and international recognition. He is building a tax base tied to new
business which will limit or eliminate future tax increases with up scale jobs
that encourage new blood to come into this community. Anyone out there who
hasn't been in Ogden for years, please come back and see the new improved
Ogden, it is a happening place.
Left Hawaii for Utah | 10:49 a.m. Nov. 12, 2007
Why live anywhere else? Utah looks like Hawaii in the summer...you can surf
here and ski in the same day! Best of all world right here within an hour! I
realize some may enjoy balmy temps year round, but for island transplants like
myself...this is the life! Still not quite a college town but a good respite to
"2 hours to somewhere" country-dom.
Anonymous | 6:00 p.m. Dec. 12, 2007
This really is the place... I've lived in southern Cali and traveled many
places but never have i seen so much on 1 block. This is the place dreams are
made.
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It's been tried before, in different ways. Before The Junction, there was a mall with one of (or THE) first Nordstrom stores in Utah. Ogden's populace didn't support any of that, either.....and it was redeveloped. Now, there's still no shopping but a few elites can now power-climb and play downtown.
Meanwhile, we're all still driving to far south SLC where we can shop at Nordstrom, and visit higher-quality merchants.