The Bigelow celebrates upgraded venue space with grand reopening
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- The exterior of The Bigelow at 2510 Washington Blvd., photographed Thursday, May 16, 2024.
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- The Bigelow’s grand ballroom, photographed Thursday, May 16, 2024, is among the multiple areas that have been renovated for event hosting.
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- The Bigelow’s wedding parlor, photographed Thursday, May 16, 2024, is among the multiple areas that have been renovated for event hosting.
OGDEN -- One of downtown Ogden's most recognizable historic buildings has received a significant facelift.
A grand reopening was held at The Bigelow -- formerly the Ben Lomond Hotel, located at 2510 Washington Blvd. -- Thursday evening to celebrate the renovation of its event spaces, including the grand ballroom, wedding parlor, main lobby, and brides and grooms rooms.
Wedding-related vendors were on hand to mark the occasion, during which the general public was allowed to tour the upgraded facilities.
The Bigelow's events manager, Cornel Thomas, told the Standard-Examiner that the venue will be fully available for the regular hosting of events for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We're just excited. We've had a lot of people already reach out to us and say, 'Oh, I got married there in the '90s' or 'I got married here in 1985.' It's kind of fun to have those couples come back," Thomas said. "It's a landmark building here and we're excited to start having events here again."
Thomas noted that work on the event spaces began in December, continuing through the grand reopening event itself. He added that much of the work, particularly in the 1,470-square-foot wedding parlor, amounted to a "basic refresh" of the environment.
However, the renovation of the more than 3,600-square-foot grand ballroom was more substantial.
"Originally, it had the kind of '90s-looking carpet in there, and (building ownership) decided to do it in hardwood," Thomas said. "They brought it in, but they decided to refinish the historic floors, the original floors. So, that's what took an extra month or so, but I think it was worth it to get the historic floors redone."
In addition to the event space at The Bigelow, the historic hotel continues to house one-bedroom, two-bedroom and studio apartments. Renovation on the building's 11th floor to create new luxury apartments is currently underway.
The Bigelow was built in 1927 for local businessman A.P. Bigelow. It was designed by the architectural firm of Hodgson and McClenahan, which also drew up the plans for Ogden High School, Peery's Egyptian Theater and other historic buildings in the Ogden area. The building was known as the Ben Lomond Hotel from 1933-2017.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.