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OGDEN — What was once an Ogden dumping ground is slowly turning into a family-friendly parkway. But Friday, a project to improve the banks of the Ogden River got some criticism over a piece of art that came with a bit of sticker shock for many residents.
Lori Carter took her family out Friday for a day along the Ogden River Parkway. She said parks like this are a stark contrast to what the riverbanks used to be.
"It's come a long ways," Carter said. "They've added to it, and it's nice."
Ogden River Renovation project manager Crystal Young has seen the renovation through since the beginning of construction a few years ago.
I'm not saying it's not nice — it's very nice — but if it cost that much money, I think it's a high-priced amenity.
–Gerald Titus, Ogden parkway visitor
"It's amazing, an amazing transformation," she said. "I think that people were scared to come down here. (It was a) very blighted neighborhood, especially in the later years. All the buildings were condemned."
The latest addition is an art piece unveiled Thursday night. It's called The Water Cycle, and it's being touted as the centerpiece of this long-term project. It's designed to stand out in its new home, an area near Grant Ave and 19th Street.
People can come up and turn the artwork's wheel, causing water to pump out. It's symbolic of the Ogden Watershed and the importance of preserving areas like the Ogden River Parkway.
"It's real pretty. It adds something real pretty to the park," said parkway visitor Gerald Titus. But he confessed he's also concerned about its $300,000 price tag.
"I'm not saying it's not nice — it's very nice — but if it cost that much money, I think it's a high-priced amenity," Titus said.
"I'd like to see (the money put into) benches, or something else people could enjoy the river here," said Dan Ferrin, another parkway visitor.
But Ogden City administrators say the money used to purchase the artwork came from a city fund earmarked for art. Mayor Mike Caldwell said that money can only be spent for that purpose.
"Communities can be defined by art," Caldwell said. "Art's a critical part of communities. We wanted to make sure that we identified unique art projects and identified who we are."
To be fair, many people who visited the parkway Friday overwhelmingly supported the river improvements as a whole.
Many of them just wonder if the $300,000 should have been spent on just one thing.
"The art is nice, but wow — way overpriced," Ferrin said.
The Ogden Arts Council says art will continue to be a theme along the River Restoration project, but this will likely be the biggest purchase.
So far, about $6 million have gone into the project as a whole, most of that coming from federal grants.
