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Ogden RDA outlines redevelopment projects, tax‑increment use and urges clearer city–school coordination on surplus land
Summary
David Sawyer described several RDA projects — WonderBlock, Williams International (about 300 jobs expected), an airport CRA and Union Station HTRZ plans — and both bodies discussed improving earlier coordination on surplus school property after disputes over Taylor Canyon and Edison parcels.
David Sawyer, deputy director of community and economic development for Ogden City, presented the Redevelopment Agency’s mission “to improve the lives of Ogden residents by strengthening our city's tax base and reducing long term tax pressure on our citizens,” and reviewed tools and ongoing projects the RDA is using to spur private investment.
Sawyer described tax‑increment financing as the RDA’s principal tool for paying infrastructure or remediation costs that allow private development on otherwise dormant or contaminated parcels; he cited recent retirements of three TIF areas that returned increased property tax revenue to the school district after term expiration. He highlighted projects such as the newly opened WonderBlock parking garage, a $20 million residential project in the Adams CRA, and Williams International’s near‑term expansion that the RDA expects to create about 300 local jobs.
The presentation also covered environmental cleanup work (a Wall Avenue parcel with historical contamination where RDA funds supported remediation in partnership with Utah DEQ) and a proposed Housing Transit Redevelopment Zone (HTRZ) for the Union Station neighborhood to capture increment for infrastructure and multimodal improvements.
Council and board members asked about specific blocks (Capital Square, historic warehouse parcels north of the viaduct), airport route expansion prospects and the RDA’s transparency dashboard. Sawyer said the dashboard will show term, base value and current assessed value for each district and will be updated annually. He noted some projects require long terms (15–20 years) and are “the long game” to produce tax revenues for schools and other taxing entities.
A later joint discussion turned to surplus school properties, especially Taylor Canyon, and communication problems that followed earlier surplus notices. Several members said the sequence of internal legal timelines and closed‑session rules complicated transparent, early coordination. Participants recommended formalizing a clearer, earlier-stage intergovernmental process or memorandum of understanding so the council and school board can surface neighborhood concerns and align timing before public controversy arises.
