- Ogden seeks a developer to restore the historic Union Stock Exchange building, an example of the city's many art deco buildings.
- Preservation Utah lists it as one of Utah's "most endangered" structures, but the leader of the group thinks it's salvageable.
- The city has sought redevelopers, so far to no avail, and has funds earmarked to prevent further decay.
OGDEN — Ogden officials are hoping to recruit a developer to restore the former glory of the Ogden Union Stock Exchange building, a crumbling art deco structure on a preservation group's list of most endangered buildings in Utah.
"It is absolutely salvageable. The bones of the structure of the building are still salvageable, still sound," said Brandy Strand, executive director of Preservation Utah, a nonprofit group that promotes preservation of the state's historic buildings.
Preservation Utah named the Ogden structure, completed in 1931 but long vacant, one of the state's "most endangered" structures in its 2025 listing, released last month.
Whatever the case, the city, which now owns the structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has had a tough time finding a developer willing to take on restoration of the structure, which has fallen into disrepair. Officials reached an agreement in 2022 with a developer to rehab the building, but the plans stalled and have since been scuttled. Minutes from the Jan. 16 meeting of the Ogden City Landmarks Commission warn that the building "is in danger of being demolished."
Mike McBride, spokesman for Mayor Ben Nadolski, said the city last year publicly sought out redevelopment proposals, to no avail. Ogden economic development officials then engaged in direct negotiations with developers, but that process hasn't yielded results due to cost considerations.
"We may do another round of public solicitation if the direct option does not work out, but the city also has money set aside to possibly do some very basic work to stop ongoing deterioration of the building if a developer is not engaged," McBride said. "The plan for this is not fully determined, but the money put aside for this would help to dry in and firm up some of the parts of the building that need it the most."
The two-story building at 600 W. Exchange Road, in what city officials now call the Trackline area, originally housed businesses serving the livestock industry. It sat adjacent to the bustling cattle stockyard once located in the area. It was designed by Leslie Hodgson, the Ogden architect behind several other notable art deco buildings in Ogden, including Ogden High School, the Ogden Municipal Building and the old U.S. Forest Service building.
"Its exterior features include brick pilasters capped with geometric fluting, cast stone livestock heads (bulls, sheep and hogs) and detailed brickwork that emphasizes both vertical and horizontal elements — hallmarks of the art deco style," reads a Preservation Utah description of the building.
The entry area, it goes on, "showcases art deco motifs with geometric ceiling ornamentation and detailed columns. Offices throughout feature dark-stained wood moldings, original doors with transom windows, and restrained but dignified interior detailing."
Strand said the 12 buildings or sites on the 2025 Most Endangered list around Utah were nominated by the public. Those who put forward the Union Stock Exchange building "want to see it come back to life," she said.
If it's to be redeveloped, some public funding could be required, notes the 2024 request for proposals from the city to rehab the building. It puts the estimated cost to complete "the most critical stabilization work" at $1.6 million to $1.8 million.
The Ogden Redevelopment Agency "understands that the redevelopment of the Exchange building will have extensive capital requirements and will seek to work with the development team to develop a deal structure that achieves the RDA's objectives and is also financeable," it reads.
The 2022 deal with Q Factor to redevelop the building, latter scuttled, called for sale of the building for $195,000. The city would have helped secure up to $800,000 in incentives for redevelopment.
