OGDEN -- What could have been an economic disaster for the Top of Utah turned out to be an economic boom when The Boyer Company and Ogden city took control of what is now known as Business Depot Ogden.
The depot's beginnings date back to the early 1940s, when pasture and farmland was developed into the Utah General Depot.
Shortly after, it became Defense Depot Ogden and was one of seven similar facilities around the nation.
The property was owned by the United States Army, under the command of the Defense Logistics Agency.
During World War II, the facility stored and shipped food, clothing, textiles, packages, petroleum products, pesticides, pressurized gases, and general medical, industrial, construction and electronic supplies.
The facility was also used as an internment camp for both German and Italian prisoners of war.
After decades as a military installation, the depot was listed for closure as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Act in 1995. All operations shut down Sept. 30, 1997.
"People were pretty worried about what was going to happen," said Stephen Waldrip, public relations manager for BDO.
"There was a lot of fear that this place would turn into a black hole for Ogden."
Management of the facilities was initially handed over to Hill Air Force Base, but Ogden city took over the facility a short time later with plans to turn it into a commercial and industrial park.
It soon became apparent the city needed a private partner for the facility to thrive.
In 2000, after the city solicited nine developers, The Boyer Company became the BDO's master developer.
Boyer is one of the largest developers of commercial real estate in the Intermountain region and also developed The Gateway in Salt Lake City and The Junction in Ogden.
When Boyer came on board, the company signed a 70-year master lease agreement.
"The length of the term makes it easy for us to make good, long-term, value-based decisions," Waldrip said.
Today, the BDO is a 1,118-acre master-planned business park, home to 81 tenants and a total of 6.5 million square feet.
Since 2001, 15 buildings have been constructed, totaling more than 2.5 million square feet. The infrastructure investment exceeds $55 million.
More than 3,500 jobs are housed at the facility, with tenants ranging from Lofthouse Cookies and The Hershey Company to the Rossignol Ski Company and the Standard-Examiner.
The current overall leasing rate is 87 percent, compared with 25 percent when Boyer took over in 2000.
Waldrip said the facility has approximately 400 acres left to develop.
"We've tried to build one or two new buildings every year, so hopefully, we'll be announcing some new things here in the future."
Waldrip said the future looks bright for the BDO, a sentiment that is the polar opposite of how people felt about the facility in 1995.
"When that BRAC announcement was made, there was a lot of weeping and wailing," he said. "But fortunately, there has been a great transition and Ogden city is better off because of it.
"It's been an absolute success by any measure."
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