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OGDEN — A part of Ogden's rail history will be preserved and repurposed starting next summer.
The land set aside as the Ogden Union Stockyards will be redeveloped as a lifestyle business park, while its iconic Exchange Building will be preserved for use in the redevelopment. The city aims to attract tech companies that want a location that offers access to public transportation, bike paths and the outdoors.
"We have a number of lifestyle-based companies that are looking to relocate here and be part of this very unique project," Ogden City Mayor Mike Caldwell said. "It's going to make an enormous difference in West Ogden, and we couldn't be happier about it."
The stockyards were established along the railroad, processing more than 2.4 million head of livestock in its peak year of 1949, equaling about $1.2 billion by today's standards, according to the city's website. The Exchange Building acted as the stockyard offices, while the yard accommodated packing houses and a corral system until the stockyard shuttered its doors in January 1971. The art deco building's unique features, like the carved stone animal head column capitals, serve as a reminder of the area's past, while the new buildings and landscaping will bring it into 21st century use.
"Constructed in 1931, the Exchange Building reminds us that history is the foundation on which the future is built; an ever-present cry that begs us to rebuild," the city posted on its website.
Renderings shown in a video by the city indicate that the yard's original concrete train loading ramps will also be incorporated into the design of the park. Construction will begin summer 2016. The 51-acre redevelopment near 600 W. Exchange Road is a partnership between the city, the Redevelopment Agency and other local and federal partners.
"The railroad may have helped establish Ogden's presence as a western hub, but it was the livestock industry and the prominence of the Ogden Union Stockyards that fueled Ogden's wealth and prosperity," the city wrote about the yards.
