A Kansas developer is planning a two-building, 348-unit apartment complex off the south side of 20th Street, south of the Lotus Riverwalk development taking shape just west of the Walmart at 1959 Wall Ave. The site plans received the green light from the Ogden Planning Commission earlier this month, a key step allowing the project to proceed.

The developers, Kansas-based Cohen-Esrey, are “really anxious. They’d like to start construction before the end of the year,” said Barton Brierley, Ogden’s planning manager. Taken together with Lotus Co. and Westates Cos. housing projects just to the north, the varied initiatives would add more than 900 housing units — apartments and town homes — to Ogden.

The Cohen-Esrey project at 195 Rushton St., called Railyard Lofts Apartments, calls for 348 units in two five-story buildings. It’s to take shape on the undeveloped 10.5-acre plot between 20th and 21st streets that extends east toward Wall Avenue from the north-south Union Pacific rail line that divides eastern and western Ogden. A representative from the developer declined comment as the plans still materialize. Previously, Brierley said, the land contained a railroad spur.

“This site is atypical of many downtown sites because it abuts elevating state highways on the north (20th Street) and south (21st Street), and west of the site is a railroad with no at-grade crossing. The site is at the gateway as one enters and exits downtown, so attractive urban form is vital,” reads a description of the property in city documents.

The plans entail development of a north-south street connecting 20th and 21st streets — Gibson Avenue — that would line up with the 20th Street entry to the Lotus Riverwalk development to the north. Some apartments would be offered at market rates and some would be offered to “income-restricted” renters, according to Brierley.

Brierley said the Railyard Lofts, and other nearby apartment projects, align with city efforts to encourage denser development in the area. Being relatively close to the Utah Transit Authority FrontRunner station and downtown Ogden would theoretically encourage pedestrian traffic among tenants in the new developments. The nearby Walmart sits about a half mile north of the FrontRunner station.

Either way, Brierley said the streets in the area should be able to handle expected auto traffic from the varied projects, when complete.

The first phase of the Lotus Riverwalk project, managed by Lotus Co. of Salt Lake City, calls for 110 units just north of the Railyard Lofts proposal, including 101 apartments and nine townhomes. The project is nearing completion. The second phase of the project, well underway, calls for 174 more apartment units in three buildings east of that toward Wall Avenue along the Ogden River.

Westates Cos., of Salt Lake City, is developing a 273-unit cluster of apartment buildings and townhomes off the northwest corner of Wall Avenue and 17th Street. The most ubiquitous of the Westates development is the four-story structure taking shape off Wall Avenue on the north side of 17th street. The other development, some of it complete, extends further west.

Tim Vandenack, Standard-Examiner

Together, the Lotus Co., Westates Cos. and Cohen-Esrey projects would add 905 new housing units to Ogden. Further north in the 300 block of 12th Street, several blocks west of Wall Ave., a 220-unit housing development is taking shape on the 16.9-acre parcel off the north side of the street, according to city planning documents.