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No Comments [ Add Comment ]A resurgent Ogden
Seven yea
rs ago, in April 2000, Ogden's new mayor, Matthew Godfrey, signed on to the idea that the Weber River near the city's Fort Buenaventura could be the site of a great little kayak park.
A month or so later, Godfrey went public with his desire to resurrect the proposal to build a tram up the side of Mount Ogden. Public scorn followed -- as it had greeted every suggestion of a tram or gondola by several of the new mayor's predecessors; still, Godfrey never backed down.
But it was during June 2000 that Godfrey -- along with then-economic development director, Stuart Reid -- found his "vision" for Ogden's future. The following was published June 11 of that year in this very newspaper: "Godfrey and Reid are working on a vision for Ogden, of a city emphasizing outdoor activities and the arts." It would, the news article explained, be "a hub for recreation" and "cater to hikers, bikers, skiers and climbers."
Frankly, it all seemed pie-in-the-sky back then. Ogden had been so beaten down over the years since the railroad skedaddled, and people were a lot more willing to believe Godfrey was just another foolishly optimistic politician than a man who could actually make this vision happen.
It's been a brutal seven years since Godfrey staked his reputation on the notion of Ogden as an outdoor destination spot. The mayor's a prickly character, not much given to smooth public relations. He doesn't seem to mind a fight, and has stood toe-to-toe with critics too many times to recall. Sometimes he walks away bloodied, but other times he's been victorious.
It's true this newspaper's editorial board has disagreed bitterly on some occasions with the way Godfrey has gone about his job. But it's also true that the Standard-Examiner's opinion page has been a steadfast supporter of the Godfrey-initiated redevelopment projects that are changing the face of the city's downtown core for the better. (For a peek at downtown resuscitation, see the city's Web site at www.ogdencity.com/mall.main.html.)
By way of that aggressiveness -- so unusual in some politicians who crave respect and admiration -- Godfrey has achieved quantifiable triumphs in the city's attempts to revitalize and re-brand itself. The evidence is there for all to see: Against all odds and a genuinely skeptical public, the national media have been noticing Ogden's recreation charms, and it's paying off.
The most recent example was a glowing piece in the March 3-4 edition of The Wall Street Journal, which noted Ogden's unique courting of ski and outdoor-recreation manufacturers in addition to luring tourists. Most cities have been content with the standard plan: Tourists come to town, the locals are grateful to accept their money, then the tourists leave.
But convincing the ski companies to set up shop and hire locals to work for them is a more enduring type of economic development that has the potential to change the very character, vitality and self-image of Ogden.
Is Ogden there yet? Well, we're not sure where "there" would be, since success ought to be measured on a continuum and constantly compared against progress or setbacks in the city's many spheres of responsibility -- taxation, fiscal management, maintenance of infrastructure, social well-being, etc. But the Junction City one sees now is indisputably better off than it was a decade ago, and part of the credit for that progress can be given to Godfrey's administrative team.
We just thought it was time somebody made that clear.
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