The Ogden City Council — meeting next Tuesday as the Ogden Redevelopment Agency — will consider three items pertaining to the potential purchase of the nearly century-old U.S. Forest Service Building located at 507 25th Street:

• Offer to Purchase Real Property and Acceptance Contract.
• Intent to Reimburse Agency from Bond Proceeds.
• Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget Amendment (continued from the Dec. 3, 2024 meeting).

The purchase price of the building is $3.6 million; it is currently administered by the General Services Administration (GSA), the property manager for the U.S. government. According to the meeting notes, the deadline to accept the GSA’s Offer to Purchase is Dec. 16.

“If the Offer is accepted, a non-refundable 10% earnest money payment will be due at the time of acceptance and the Agency must be ready to close within thirty days,” the meeting notes stated. “If the Board chooses to move forward with the purchase, additional actions will be necessary to fund the purchase.”

Ogden City Communications Director Mike McBride told the Standard-Examiner that the city is contemplating the purchase as an opportunity to help preserve an important part of its past.

“The city administration would like to ensure that the building is in the hands of a future steward who will both honor the history and integrity of the building, maintaining the iconic architecture and moving forward with intent that best suits the surrounding communities’ needs,” he said.

McBride did not elaborate on what the plans after purchase may include.

The meeting notes also provided some background on the structure. “The U.S. Forest Service Building is in the Ogden Central Bench Historic District,” the notes stated. “The building was constructed between 1933 and 1934 specifically for use by the U.S. Forest Service Intermountain Region and other U.S. government functions. The Ogden architectural firm of Hodgson & McClenahan designed the project (also Ogden High and Ogden Municipal Building) in the Art Deco style.”

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

For more on Tuesday’s RDA and special city council meetings, visit https://www.ogdencity.com/DocumentCenter/View/31609/12-10-24-Packet.