We support the idea of Ogden city officials and others in creating a multipurpose field house in Junction City.
However, extending the life of the Business Depot Ogden economic development project area to garner $15 million in tax increment money is not the best way to provide financing for the project.
In order to provide legitimacy to the field house project, as well as assurance that the $40 million project would be a success, either a bond proposal or a sales tax initiative vote should be provided.
The field house is an exciting project that we believe would be a boon for Ogden and Weber County. It would offer an Olympic-sized pool, a water park, a running track, a velodrome and tennis courts on a 5-acre area in the southwest section of 24th Street and Kiesel Avenue. The field house would be ideally situated next to hotels.
According to a feasibility study from Hotel & Leisure Advisors, based in Cleveland, it can be an economic success. The study says that prices can be slightly lower for locals than tourists using the field house. It even claims that in the field house's first year, it would end up slightly in the black.
To get the tax increment extension by extending the BDO project, 75 percent of the eight-member Ogden City Redevelopment Agency Taxing Entity Committee needs to OK the action. Also, the Ogden RDA board, comprised of the city council, would also have to agree.
Backers of the field house certainly have many means to cobble together funding for a field house; more so if they can win over most members of these entities. But we believe a large-scale vote, possibly county-wide, on funding would provide far more respectability and community ownership for the project. An election would also provide backers, and opponents, of the field house the opportunity to bring their respective arguments to those who will be -- if it's approved -- using it and paying for the recreational opportunities.
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