Ernest Health Finalizes Riverfront Site Purchase

Three-year flirtation comes to fruition; rehab hospital operator finally coughs up $1.5 million

By Curmudgeon

The Standard-Examiner online (free) edition has a breaking news story about Ogden.

The story reports that "Ernest Health Inc. has finalized a $1.5 million property purchase within the first phase of the Ogden River Project for the construction of a rehabilitation hospital."

Two further interesting points. First, Mr. Tom Christopulos, Ogden's business development manager, told the SE that he "is optimistic construction may begin on the Ernest Health hospital by the end of the year." However, the Std-Ex has learned the hard way that every claim by a Godfrey Administration appointee needs to be checked out, and so a bit later in the story we find this: "Chris Bergh, vice president of marketing and business development for Ernest Health, said he hasn’t received a recent update on the Ogden facility and is unsure when construction may begin." Mr. Christopulos might want to give Mr. Bergh a call before talking to the press again about this.

Second... and this one is a candidate for chuckle of the day... the story reports that Mr. Christopulos thinks "the land purchase demonstrates the company’s commitment to the project" because people don't invest millions “to sit on (vacant) ground.”

They don't? Could it be Mr. Christopulos, Ogden City's business development manager [!] has not yet taken a walking tour around the scenic Leshem City area of the River Project?