OGDEN — The railroad may have been the economic underpinning of Ogden for years, but city officials say that role is now filled by outdoor recreation.
When the railroad business that had sustained the city for so long finally died, Mayor Mike Caldwell says, nothing was there to replace it, leaving Ogden in a depressed economic state for years.
But when Salt Lake City was awarded the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, a group of Ogden residents, businesspeople and city officials sought to capitalize on the opportunity by transforming the city into a center for outdoor recreation. Ogden's transformation began under Caldwell's predecessor, Matthew Godfrey, and featured a three-pronged strategy: Restore outdoor resources, host national outdoor events and attract new outdoor businesses.
Godfrey says one of the first things he did when he took office in 2000 was work with city and county officials and local business leaders to clearly define Ogden's future.
"We knew we had some tremendous opportunity for outdoor recreation," Godfrey says.
"We had this historic urban center in the middle of these great mountains, rivers and trails. But we had to commit to (outdoor recreation) and pursue it aggressively."
Under Godfrey's watch, work began on the $6 million Ogden River restoration project and the 60-acre Riverbend project.
During Godfrey's tenure as mayor, the city also built three kayak parks, a waterski park and miles of hiking and biking trails.
The 2002 Olympics showcased Ogden's mountain biking trails, nearby world-class skiing and two rivers that provide in-town kayaking and canoeing.
Since then, a number of outdoor companies have located in the city.
Amer Sports, Goode Ski Technologies, Scott USA and Rossignol have either relocated to Ogden or established operations in the city.
Ogden has also hosted many high-profile outdoor events and competitions, including the Winter Dew Tour, Tour of Utah, Archery World Cup, USA Collegiate Cycling Championships, Xterra USA Championships and Xterra National Trail Run Championships.
Participation in the Ogden Marathon has also boomed since the Olympics. The 2012 marathon drew 8,568 athletes, 708 volunteers and more than 20,000 spectators.
Caldwell says last year was a prime example of the strides Ogden has made in outdoor recreation.
In 2011 alone, Ogden approved 110 special events permits that city officials figure had an overall economic impact of about $39 million.
Caldwell says he hopes to keep the progress going.
"I don't see any signs of things slowing down," he says. "With the one-of-a-kind resources we have, we've only seen the tip of the iceberg."
cmiller 18 Sep, 2012
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