Added bonus: a reader submitted video, a true tribute to the folks who shop at Walmart
Some local folks are practically jumping outta their skins to patronize Boss Godfrey's new Ogden Wal-mart Supercenter (which opens up this morning), according to last Wednesday's breathless Ace Reporter Schwebke story:
(And Gawd knows it's been one helluva battle for Boss Godfrey, getting this cheesy retail monstrosity in place.)
So in honor of this morning's auspicious occasion, we're delighted to pass along the following video (sent along to us by an alert WCF reader) -- a true tribute to the folks who've already been "bolt[ing] through the front entrance" in anticipation of this morning's 8:15 a.m. opening of"the new 146,855 square-foot Walmart Supercenter...at 1959 Wall Ave."
Don't let the cat get your tongues...
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42 comments:
How big a role did the Godfrey administration play, in the end, in bringing Walmart to Ogden? We may never know. There were no financial incentives that I'm aware of (and that's good). The administration did ask the council to rezone the property, on its own initiative, while it belonged to Gadi Leshem and the proposed use was never mentioned. It's reasonable, I think, to speculate that the administration knew all along that Walmart was interested in this location, and advised Leshem of this before he bought the land. I wonder how much Leshem ended up getting out of the deal.
OK, the film clip is fun... but also kind of a cheap shot. I imagine you could put together a similar video of customers of any store that has heavy walk-in traffic provided you picked and chose carefully. You could do a similar one for the Riverdale Mall and could have done a similar one for the Old Ogden Mall. I imagine you could do one showing Wal-Mart shoppers in coats and ties too.
The store opens today. Continued kvetching seems kind of pointless. It'll be successful or it won't. It'll do good things for Ogden City's tax revenues [property and sales] or it won't. It'll help spark a downtown business up tick or, by driving other smaller merchants out, it won't. We'll just have to await the outcome. At this point, all the predictions from both boosters and critics don't matter much . In a few years, we'll know which side gets to say "I told you so!"
And it's opening does provide something people trying to spur downtown residential development have been calling for for a long long time: a subsantial downtown supermarket.
We're just going to have to see now how it will all workout. It's a done deal.
lol -- great vid!
My husband commented the other day : "Boy, it sure has taken a LONG TIME to get this store finished!" His job involves building stores, and he's been doing it for more than 20 years, so I'm guessing he would know.
TLJ
you know, with the revenues for Ogden and all, I will still shop at the Harrisville wally world when needed . given that it is only 5 minutes and one traffic light away from my house. O, and given the price of gas!
js
BB
Me, too BB ... and I don't shop at Winco either ... I prefer shopping local (Stop & Shop is out, but there is still Wangsgards and Harmons)
TLJ
lol -- great vid!
My husband commented the other day : "Boy, it sure has
taken a LONG TIME to get this store finished!" His job involves building stores,
and he's been doing it for more than 20 years, so I'm guessing he would
know.
TLJ
you know, with the revenues for Ogden and all, I will still shop at the
Harrisville wally world when needed . given that it is only 5 minutes and one
traffic light away from my house. O, and given the price of
gas!
js
BB
Me, too BB ... and I don't shop at Winco either ... I prefer shopping local
(Stop & Shop is out, but there is still Wangsgards and Harmons)
TLJ
peopleofwalmart.com
peopleofwalmart.com
I nearly fell off of my computer chair! I'm going to walmart this morning. Curmudgeon where is your sense of humor?!
NRT:
Didn't you notice how I started my comment? " OK, the film clip is fun." But there was an edge to posting it too, I thought. Kind of a --- well, just a tad snobby "look at all those tacky people who shop at Wal-Mart" tone to it. That's what I could have done without. Simple fact is, Wal-Mart has proven to be very popular with many many shoppers, and they're not all extras from the "Dukes of Hazzard" or "Deliverance" by any means.
I continue to view Walmart as shockingly contrary to everything Elder Godfrey has ever professed in his concept of the restoration, transformation, enhancement, of downtown Ogden. Ah, well, his lips were moving. What did I expect?
Think of what's been said and done in the past few years: the immortal Godfrey press secretary Bob Geiger assured us we'd soon be having blonded New York ski divas haunting the Gucci and Prada shops downtown before boarding the gondola to deluxe ski facilities at Malan's Basin. The 25th Street Business Association bullied the UTA into removing its bus routes from 25th Street so the unwashed wouldn't be loitering for the next bus. What sense does it make for the right hand to shoo the ick factor off the street while the left hand cuts the ribbon to Walmart and its hordes of .... well, you watched the video.
I personally have cherished grand delusions of a vibrant downtown, completely unique in character from other western cities. Walmart simply consigns downtown Ogden to the ranks of mediocrity.
Jeeze, I sure hope good old Curmudgeon doesn't go see "The Book of Mormon" next time he goes home to Noo Yark for a visit. The next thing ya know he will be hanging around 25th and Washington bearing his testimony about the truthlyness of the BOM and how nice them Marmons are.
Until Ogden brings in a big box chain actually worth and worthy of shopping in and supporting, I will continue to shop locally, make my as needed trips to the SLC Whole Foods and obtain whatever supplies possible from Trader Joe's runs. (In one small ten-plex in Ogden, six people do runs to CA, OR and NV for all the others. Trader Joe's not being willing to move into Utah continue to go there whenever possible.)
I imagine Trader Joe's not coming to Utah may have a lot to do with Utah's alcohol laws. After all it wouldn't be a Trader Joe's woithout 2-buck chuck...
Anyone notice the "been there forever" motorcycle club clubhouse just north of the parking lot of the new Walmart? I really don't think they are FOM's but yet they remain.
js,
BB
Ray,
Trader Joe's not coming here does have a good deal to do with the Utah liquor laws. So until the twelfth of never, 2 Buck Chuck not with standing, whenever possible we go out of state to buy our clam chowder, ginger cookies, chocolate, etc.
South of Wal-Mart?
If you're a "biker babe" from Ogden you know there's no such thing as a biker FOM.
Here's my attitude, Screw the Mormons. If a Mormon is running for any office in Utah, vote for somebody who isn't a Mormon. With the heavy influx of non-Mormons like me who've just moved to Utah, and the Jack-Mormon native vote, it shouldn't rake all that long to send the "blo's" packing.
Anna
Can I put my order in now for a case of Canadian Club and two of Johnny Walker Red Label?
I would also like to try the 2 Buck Chuch, so maybe a couple of jugs of that stuff too.
Does anybody know what happened at city council last night relating to the request for high density slum apartment rezoning for the river district?
Danny: Having listened to the audio tapes of Turesday's Council and RDA meetings, it's apparent that the Council/RDA have not yet made any decision in re "the request for high density slum apartment rezoning for the river district":
05/17 City Council-RDA Special Session
05/17City Council Regular Session
I wouldn't bet the money for the baby's new shoes on that happening....
why are folks on here doubtful of my "biker babe" status? I've ridden a motorcycle since a poor college student in 1980 ... I know most of the original member of the original Ogden MC known as the Sundowners ... I still like to ride, the faster and bigger the better ... Rudi will vouch for me.
The aforementioned clubhouse is south of the walmart, my bad .. it is north of the train station parking ...
forgive my faux pas
BB
Ozboy,
Order taken. If they have it we'll bring it.
Nobody doubted your "biker status," whatever that is.
The MC you mention fought Godfrey when he tried to use E.D. to take their property.
The point was that Godfrey isn't biker friendly, MC or otherwise. If he had his way, bikers wouldn't be allowed in Ogden.
Danny: According to this council document, this matter has been set for public input on May 24, 2011:
Land Use and Planning Project Status Report
This is a test of the Registered User Broadcast System
Yep. I can flat out guarantee that our beloved Biker Babe can handle a Harley just fine. Better than (300 pound+) Utah AG Mark Shurleff, fershure, who crashed a rented Harley and had multiple surgeries to fix his mangled leg..
Be kind, Rudi! When a 300+ pound pos like Mark Shurtleff falls off his rented Harley in a parking lot and his bones break like glass, it's time to cut the guy some slack!
Especially now that he's been diagnosed with the Cancer Killer...
Cut him some slack for now, Rudi, please!
There's a reason that Mark Shurtleff has cancer. He's an extremely evil man; and his karma just caught up with him.
Precisely right, KTS! Shurtleff will never recover until he roots out the evil which infected his body in the first place!
Precisely right, KTS! Shurtleff will never recover until he roots out the evil which infected his body in the first place
Precisely right, KTS! Shurtleff will never recover until he roots out the evil which infected his body in the first place
KnowsTheScore & Vood00Man What is the matter with you guys? Equating getting cancer with being evil? Have you ever had a family member get cancer? Are you so desperate to post a commett that you would submit such a offensive statement? Perhaps you should visit the cancer patients at Primary Hospital and find out what evil caused children to get cancer
Nope Blackrulon; you're entirely wrong about this.
Yes! Good people will get cancer.
On the other hand, truly evil people will contract cancer on a fairly regular basis, BECAUSE... Being
Evil is a high stress disability!
maybe I shoulda said "I know they're not FOMs" ... point is, Godfrey usually gets his way and Hoorah for the Clubhouse still being there ... some folks DO have a set when it comes to Godfrey and his wiley ways
bb
Tom Feeny for mayor?
You are a idiot. Lots of people get cancer. Children get cancer, family members get cancer. You are a unfeeling lout. Equating illness with your opinion of evil is a example of regressiver intelligence. Go away
VoodooMon
I would like to think that your theory of evil people getting cancer regularly were true. If it were, Ogden would not have had to suffer the disaster of the Godfreyites these past 10 years.
Actually it was Dorothy and other property patriots who helped them fight, along with the rest of the neighborhood.
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