Weber County indoor archery facility, unique to Northern Utah, nears completion
Alex Nauarrete hangs drywall in the new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
Mike Luna, left, and Doug Anderson reinforce the back wall of the new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
Weber County Culture, Parks and Recreation Director Todd Ferrario poses for a portrait in front of the new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
The new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park is under construction on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
The new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park is under construction on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
Alex Nauarrete hangs drywall in the new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
The new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park is under construction on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
The new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park is under construction on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
The new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park is under construction on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
The new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park is under construction on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
The new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park is under construction on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
Alex Nauarrete hangs drywall in the new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
The new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park is under construction on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
Alex Nauarrete hangs drywall in the new indoor facility at Weber County Archery Park on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, in west Ogden. The facility is planning to open mid-July.
OGDEN — The planned indoor archery range at Observatory Park is taking shape and should be operational by mid-July.
It’s got local officials excited at the prospects.
“There’s really nothing like this in Northern Utah,” said Jennifer Graham, assistant director of the Weber County Culture, Parks and Recreation Department.
Todd Ferrario, director of the county’s parks and recreation division, went further. Combined with the outdoor archery ranges already in use, the indoor portion of the new Weber County Archery Park, accommodating perhaps 30 lanes, will be in a category largely by itself. “To be quite honest, it’s one of a kind,” he said.
Around 20 outdoor archery lanes outside the structure have already been in use since mid-2018. The indoor facility will augment that, creating a space for archery even during inclement weather, league competition and more. Around three-quarters of the massive structure nearing completion will be given over to archery lanes, according to Graham, with educational and administrative space and a pro shop accounting for much of the rest.
Weber County commissioners on Tuesday approved a contract with Douglas Archery, now operating out of Harrisville, to run the shop at the new building. Commissioner Jim Harvey used the occasion to highlight the sport’s presence in the area.
“Some of the greatest archers on the planet live right in this geographical area here,” he said.
Kyle Douglas, operator of Douglas Archery, won earlier this year at the Vegas Shoot, a top event in the sport, while Harvey noted Denise Parker, an Olympic archer from Utah, won the bronze medal in the sport with the U.S. women’s team in Seoul, South Korea, in 1988. “So we have had some really fine archers in our area, and this is another way for us to support an industry, an all-ability industry, that would be indoor,” Harvey said.
The facility’s original price tag exceeded $3 million, but that’s been shaved to around $1.76 million, according to Graham. Around $1 million of that is coming from state sources and another $290,000 is coming from the special county sales tax earmarked for recreational activities. The Utah Department of Natural Resources will provide additional funding above and beyond what it’s already providing, while Graham said she is also pursuing grant and private funding.
Aside from the new building, the project price tag will also cover upgrades to the roadway leading to the archery area on the west side of Observatory Park, off Avenue F. The main entrance to Observatory Park is off Avenue A.
The plans represent another step forward in development of Observatory Park, a 72-acre facility atop a closed landfill in west Ogden. It contains walking trails, including some through a wetlands area, a cyclocross course and more. “Todd, you’ve done a wonderful job, creating something over the top of an old landfill that now is useful for everyone,” Harvey told Ferrario.
Ferrario said efforts are afoot to get the word out about the new facility.
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