Hot Tub Hotel on Hold?
By Dan Schroeder
Once again I’d like to thank the Ogden City Council for its relatively new practice of putting its full agenda packets online for all to see. Here are a couple of items that I found noteworthy in the packet for tonight’s meeting.
1. Contribution Agreement – RDA Tax Increment Bonds. Continuation for consideration of a Contribution Agreement with the Redevelopment Agency for the purpose of issuing Tax Increment Bonds, Series 2010 to facilitate the financing of the acquisition and construction of a hotel at The Junction. (Remove from agenda)
This item, if I’m not mistaken, is the final step in approving the Kevin Garn Hot Tub Hotel. Although it seems clear that a majority of the council supports this project, it hit a snag when the bank refused to accept the financing terms for the proposed parking structure. Now, it would appear, there has been another snag that has forced the council to remove this item from tonight’s agenda. Will this be just a minor delay, or is the whole project in danger of falling through? Perhaps we’ll learn more tonight.
2. RDA Annual Report.
Tonight the council (acting as RDA Board) will formally receive the Redevelopment Agency’s Annual Report for fiscal year 2010. Although the event will be completely routine, this may be the first time that a copy of the Report has been posted on the city’s web site for all to see. For convenience, I’ve extracted the Report from the agenda packet and Rudi has posted it here (pdf, 3.7 MB). The Report is a fascinating document that gives a great overview of what the RDA does. From the map on Page 4 you can see that redevelopment districts cover nearly all of downtown Ogden—and this map doesn’t even show the new district along the east side of Washington Blvd., which was designated after FY 2010 ended last summer. Be sure to bookmark this Report and refer back to it, next time the RDA and tax-increment financing are in the news!
Ed. Note: We'll leave the lower comments section open for anyone who'd like to comment on this topic before, during or after tonight's council meeting.
