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RDA approves Wildcat Square survey area for proposed Weber State student housing over residents' objections
Summary
The Redevelopment Agency voted 4–2 on May 12 to approve a survey area to study a proposed 513-bed student-housing project on Weber State land, enabling due diligence on potential tax-increment support and infrastructure gaps; residents raised concerns about green space, public cost, and impacts on downtown.
The Ogden Redevelopment Agency on May 12 approved a survey-area designation to study whether a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) and tax-increment financing might support a proposed Weber State University student-housing project known as Wildcat Square.
Eric Gibson, presenting the request, said the site is roughly 6.625 acres of university-controlled land adjacent to the bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor. The developer selected through Weber State's RFP process is Keller Development Group; the proposed four-story building would create about 513 student beds, many targeted for out-of-state and international students. Gibson said the developer flagged significant site costs, including decades of fill material on the property, and requested RDA support to close financing gaps.
The financing mechanism described would treat the private housing as a taxable private use on formerly state-owned land via a privilege tax, allowing incremental revenues during the CRA period and full collections after the CRA expires (the lease term referenced in the presentation was on the order of 99–100 years). Gibson said the project could stabilize the rental market, increase BRT ridership, and allow Weber State to repurpose existing student housing for married and family units.
Weber State Vice President Mark Halverson told the board the project is part of long-standing campus master plans to increase on-campus beds and make the campus a destination for students. "We really want to develop housing close to the center part of campus," Halverson said, noting the institution's need to attract out-of-state and international students and to respond to shifting demographics.
Several residents urged caution. Speakers raised the loss of open green space, the cost of moving or removing large quantities of fill dirt, and the city's role in funding private development. One resident suggested Weber State should prioritize downtown investment rather than concentrating new housing on campus.
The RDA board, after discussion about project economics, county participation (the county has signaled it would commit up to 50% of its increment share toward infrastructure, subject to limits), and the required due diligence steps, voted to approve the survey-area designation by a 4'to'2 margin. Approving the survey area allows staff to perform the next-stage analysis: define a project area, prepare a draft budget and tax-increment projections, and conduct public hearings with other taxing entities should the RDA choose to proceed.
Next steps: staff will undertake the due diligence to quantify developer gaps, proposed tax-increment amounts, projected revenues and payback schedules; county and school-district participation and limits will be factored into further decisions. The board emphasized that no tax increment would be captured until a subsequent action creates a project area and an explicit budget is approved.
Vote: RDA resolution (Wildcat Square survey area) motioned and seconded; roll-call vote recorded 4 in favor, 2 opposed.
