A dilapidated art deco home that looms on a rise over 30th Street west of Monroe Boulevard has garnered interest from at least one developer.
The city-owned structure at 742 30th St., white and featuring a distinctive curve on part of its southwestern corner, has sat vacant for several years. It’s actually a three-unit structure, boarded up due in part to heavy fire damage.
But Brandon Cooper, deputy director of community and economic development for Ogden, said a request for proposals, or RFP, to renovate the home and develop the 0.78-acre piece of property where it sits has garnered interest from a possible taker. “Our RFP produced one viable option from a private developer. We are working with them to get a plan that can be presented to the Planning Commission and City Council for approval,” Cooper said.
The RFP, released Jan. 2, 2020, calls for an experienced developer capable of restoring the building. “Also, as part of the purchase, the developer would have the option to introduce new housing units to the surrounding area. The design of the new units would need to share the same architectural theme and look as the existing historic building,” it reads.
Cooper wouldn’t delve into the details of the possible development plan or the would-be developer. He also said there’s no definitive timeline for action, though officials are working “diligently” on the plans.
“The future status of the existing home has not been determined as of yet, but will be part of the final proposal for approval,” he said. “We are hopeful for the future.”
The city agreed to a deal in 2016 to acquire the building for $175,000, but Cooper said the city ultimately paid $111,000. Two other structures that sat on the property were torn down, a single-story apartment and a four-unit building. The city had agreed to cover the cost of tearing down the two additional buildings and they are no longer standing.
At the time of the acquisition, city paperwork said redeveloping the property could bring up to 10-12 market-rate rental units to the city, though Cooper said zoning guidelines actually in effect would permit seven units in all. He told the Ogden City Council at the time it was mulling acquisition that any subsequent redevelopment plan would possibly include city incentives of some sort.
The structure was built in 1949, according to online Weber County property records. Cooper told the City Council back in 2016 that it featured art deco characteristics, making it unique in Ogden. Ogden High School also features art deco characteristics. “It’s very scarce in the city in terms of the architectural elements,” he said.
A structural report included with the RFP states that wood floor joists at the main level and walls in the basement sustained significant fire damage, requiring fixes before it can be occupied.
Source: Standard Examiner