Standard-Examiner: Riverbend Project Not Dead... Yet

Another attempt to assist our lame-duck mayor in exiting the public stage in a contrived and revisionist "blaze of glory?"

This morning's Standard-Examiner carries a story this morning reporting on the current status of the still-moribund Ogden River Project, which according to our calculations has been on the City's "drawing board" for over eight years. The project's "still alive," announces this morning's SE headline; and this morning's lead paragraphs provide what we'll characterise as "classic" Godfrey Administration optimism:

OGDEN -- The city is continuing to negotiate with a Holladay company for the construction of housing and retail businesses within the long awaited mixed-use Riverbend development formerly known as the Ogden River Project.

Millrock Development LLC is working with Gadi Leshem -- whose firm, Ogden Riverfront Development, is the main owner of Riverbend property -- to be the major partner in the project, said Jonny Ballard, the city's community development manager.

Lower down in Mr. Schwebke's story however, Mr. Ballard hedges more than a little bit, or so it seems to us:

Ballard is hopeful the city can obtain a memorandum of understanding by the end of the year with Millrock to begin work on the project.

"If something doesn't happen by the end of the year, it could be on the table for a while," he said.

So we're not quite sure what to make of Mr. Ballard's "soft" end-of-year deadline. Does Mr. Ballard mean to imply that our newly-elected Mayor, Mr. Caldwell, can be expected by the Godfrey administration to "drop the ball" on this project after he's sworn into office on January 3? If the City Council fails to ratify a Millrock Development LLC development agreement, will Godfrey's "A" Team consider the River Project Game to be over? Does this language foreshadow an upcoming last-ditch Godfrey crony development agreement proposal which will truly sell the River Project (and the beleguered Ogden City taxpayers figuratively "down the river?"

Nor are we clear about the Standard's rationale for running this "no news" story at all, unless it clumsily dovetails with yesterday's WCF topic, i.e., the apparent ongoing attempts of Boss Godfrey and his lemming-like followers to put a "positive" spin on Godfrey's accomplishments and to assist our lame-duck mayor in exiting the public stage in a contrived and revisionist "blaze of glory."

Here's the full SE story for our readers' inspection:

• Riverbend project still alive in Ogden

We're spotlighting this story this morning, by the way, mainly for archival consistency, since it really doesn't reveal much of anything new. It's not entirely devoid of useful information, however, in which connection we link this handy SE "Riverbend Project Timeline," which is embedded in the article page within the Standard's hard-copy and digital editions:


This is helpful information, we think, for those folks who might need to refresh their memories about just how very long the Ogden River Project has actually been left simmering (mostly unattended) on Boss Godfrey's back burner.

It's even more helpful, wethinks, for those mis-guided souls who might be tempted to embellish our outgoing mayor's "achievements," as the little "Wizard" behind the "Emerald City Curtain" prepares for his final curtain call.

The floor's open for our savvy readers' comments.

So many questions... so few answers...