Ogden welcomes new developments coming along 12th Street
OGDEN — In the view of the city, the 12th Street corridor is one of Ogden’s primary retail and commercial areas.
“We have had significant public and private investment in this area over the last 15 years,” said Brandon Cooper, Ogden City’s deputy director of community and economic development.
According to the 2005 12th Street Corridor Plan adopted by Ogden City, enhancements to come included usability, aesthetic features and viability.
“The strategies and projects envisioned in the plan are in various stages of implementation,” Cooper said.
The city offers various incentives to facilitate positive and desirable development, such as the commons shopping area at the intersection of 12th Street and Wall Avenue. In 2010, a joint effort between the Ogden City Redevelopment Agency and Wright Construction developed what was once considered a “blighted corner” and turned it into a “major catalyst.”
The cornerstone to the commons shopping area, however, remains vacant after a closed Fred Meyer building sat for 12 years before being demolished in 2016.
Cooper says the city has tried to work with the private business for years to build or sell, but their attempts were, ultimately, unsuccessful.
The city hopes to one day see a mixed-use commercial project at this site, as Ogden City code enforcement officers are continuously having to keep the private lot free of dumping and campers.
The city has business recruitment personnel working to fill empty lots and buildings. According to Cooper, the five major industry companies they target are actively looking to expand in, or relocate to, Ogden. He did not name the companies.
While the target of business development activities do not include restaurants and retail, those are some of the current developments happening along 12th St.
Dutch Bros. Coffee Vice President of Development Aaron Harris has had the opportunity to work in Ogden over the last 15 years.
Harris says the small-town feel — coupled with a fast-growing population — makes Ogden an obvious option for their brand.
“I simply cannot wait,” Harris said of a new development east of LoLo Hawaiian BBQ — next to a shuttered former Village Inn restaurant — projected to open early to mid-2022.
He believes Ogden is a good fit for the company to live out its mission as a “fun-loving, mind-blowing company that makes a difference one cup at a time.” The construction of the 12th Street Dutch Bros. location comes after one opened in Riverdale on Sept. 30.
The Habit Burger Grill, located at 335 12th St., opened on Oct. 6 and District Manager Carlos Cordova said business is slower than expected. “If I had a say, I would have chosen a different location,” he said of the building that was previously La Puente Mexican restaurant. “There is no easy access.”
Ocean Mart Manager Steven Lu said he believes there couldn’t be a better location than the intersection of 12th Street and Washington Boulevard for their new store. After several years of exploring potential sites in Ogden, the company decided to take over the former Shopko building.
Lu said that after successfully establishing a store in Roy, the company began making plans to open a location in Ogden because of the city’s commitment to growing the local economy. Multiple committees joined the city in expressing support of Ocean Mart coming to Ogden.
“Ogden has a steadily growing Asian population and a growing demand for ethnic foods,” said Eugene Han, the owner of Ocean Mart.
They are planning to open the Ogden location in February 2022 and will have a more expansive restaurant supply section and offer more bulk packaged goods.
The company hopes to satisfy the needs of the Asian-American community’s grocery needs and bring Asian culture to the mainstream market and localities.
Korean cuisine is set to replace the Bamboo Japanese restaurant located at 141 12th St. Cupbop, branded as Korean BBQ in a cup, will soon be a part of Ogden’s restaurants as well as a new Ogden Valley Pizza located at 218 12th St.
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- The future site of Ocean Mart on 12th Street in Ogden is shown on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021.
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- The new Cupbop location on 12th Street in Ogden is shown on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021.
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- The Habit Burger Grill in Ogden on 12th Street is pictured on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021.
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- The future site of Dutch Bros. Coffee on 12th Street is pictured on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021.