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OGDEN — A building taking shape on Ogden's Historic 25th Street that has sat incomplete for several months as officials and the developer have pondered its future will likely be torn down, a city official says.
"Demolition is the plan," said Mike McBride, spokesman for the administration of Mayor Mike Caldwell.
The five-story structure at 144 25th Street in the heart of Ogden's dining and commercial district on 25th Street has been the focus of plenty of hand-wringing from merchants on the street and city officials, among others. The city of Ogden last March ordered a stop to work on the building stemming from use of lumber that wasn't sufficiently fire resistant and in October followed up, deeming the building dangerous stemming from several additional "structural deficiencies" inspectors found.
Summa Terra Ventures, the Springville-based project developer, was ordered to come up with a fix to address the issues or raze the structure. McBride said Tuesday that the company, after unsuccessfully appealing the city's determination, has opted for demolition. He said Summa Terra Ventures had submitted an acceptable plan to address the varied problems, but was apparently unable to find a contractor to do the work.
"The developer's choice is to demolish the building rather than do repairs," McBride said. A rep from Summa Terra Ventures didn't immediately respond to a query seeking comment.
Rick VanLeeuwen of the Gift House Pawn Shop, a few doors west of the 144 25th Street building, said he has received word from city officials of the demolition plans and expressed a measure of relief that a resolution to the issue seems to be at hand. City officials have warned that the structure — characterized in its incomplete state by exposed wooden walls — posed a fire hazard.
"I'm glad to see some movement on it," VanLeeuwen said. Aside from the fire hazard posed by the use of insufficiently treated lumber, an Oct. 12 city report warned of the possible collapse of the building stemming from numerous deficiencies inspectors found in the structure.
Though the indication is that the building will be demolished, McBride noted that a demolition permit has yet to be requested or issued to handle the work. Nevertheless, the company to handle demolition, Keith Kap & Sons Excavating, has submitted a document to the city outlining its plans. According to the demolition firm's plans, supplied by the city to KSL.com in response to a public records request, crews will initially remove wood sheeting from the structure's eastern wall to prevent damage to the adjacent building. The 144 25th Street building closely abuts buildings on its eastern and western sides.
A "high reach excavator" will subsequently be used to disassemble the building from the top down, with debris stored within the building's footprint before it is hauled off. The sidewalk and parking spots in front of the high-traffic location will be blocked off during the work while an adjacent fire hydrant will be tapped for water to suppress dust during the work. The building can be accessed by demolition crews from the rear, minimizing potential congestion issues along 25th Street.
With the Christmas season in full swing, McBride said shoppers will still be able to access the stores and other locales along Historic 25th Street, though the sidewalk in front of the Summa Terra Ventures building will be blocked off. VanLeeuwen doesn't foresee major disruption to shopping brought on by demolition. At any rate, he said demolition work would be less problematic to adjacent merchants than a fire, alluding to the threat city officials say the 144 25th Street structure has posed.
McBride didn't provide a timeline for work since a demolition permit has yet to be issued. VanLeeuwen said city officials told him that demolition activities could begin as early as next week.
Summa Terra Ventures reps have previously faulted Makers Line, the contractor handling construction, for the issues with the structure. A Makers Line representative didn't immediately respond Tuesday to a query seeking comment.
