Utah Heritage Foundation

As you may know, what is being dubbed the Hub District has long been known as the Warehouse District.  That name even dates back to before The Gateway was even a thought!  The Hub District, an area with SL Central Station (formerly known as the Intermodal Hub) has been going through a planning process to give agency and government officials ideas as to what the future should look like.

As described by Envision Utah, the Depot District is one of six key locations identified in the Wasatch Choice for 2040 (WC2040). WC2040 is the land-use and transportation “Vision” for Salt Lake, Weber, Davis and Utah Counties, developed by elected officials and the public to improve our quality of life as our region experiences dramatic growth.  Implementing the Vision will allow us to absorb a 65% population growth (1.4 million additional residents) over the next 30 years, while enhancing our economy, protecting our beautiful natural areas, providing more housing and transportation choices, saving money and energy, and improving our air quality and health.

On Saturday, September 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., one the best homes tours around will be taking place in Ogden.  Weber County Heritage Foundation’s 33^rd Annual Tour features nine private buildings along with the Eccles Community Art Center and the Church of the Good Shepherd.  Together, these eleven prominent historic buildings form part of the basis for the Central Bench or what some are now calling the “Trolley District” promoting the viability of mass transit returning to the hub of urban population for Northern Utah and the Intermountain West’s train capitol.

Nevertheless, the historic homes tour will showcase some fantastic pieces of the Victorian era that have been rehabilitated for modern living and working.  The tour is $15 and starts at the Eccles Art Center, 2580 Jefferson Avenue.  There will also be a lecture given by Richa Wilson, who will discuss the tour’s homes, style development, typical characteristics, terminology, and specific home features.  Her brief presentation begins at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and Noon and will be given at the Eccles Art Center and would serve as a wonderful introduction to this neighborhood if you haven’t been there before.

Lastly, I would be remiss to not return to the preservation issue that is central to this neighborhood at this point and time that I mentioned earlier.  That is, bringing the trolley or streetcar through the Central and East Bench as it historically ran.  It has been a tremendous challenge to have UTA (who is guiding the process) and Mayor Godfrey understand that this is the best choice for the city and has been highly favored by residents who have attended every public meeting and hearing.  However, UTA has so far chosen a route that is several blocks south through another neighborhood where it will not bring the same public benefits that mass transit typically will for its ridership and help stimulate reinvestment in this historic neighborhood at the same time.

When yo

Need funding for transportation improvements to enhance Heritage Tourism, provide pedestrian trails to historic places, or improve your historic downtown streetscape?  Check out this recent announcement from USDOT.

On June 1, the Federal Register included the revised announcement of the "Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery" or TIGER II Discretionary Grants.  The grants will be available for proposals for highway or bridge projects, public transportation projects, and passenger and freight rail projects.  The three types of grants include Planning Grants, TIFIA Payments, and Projects in Rural Areas. Of the available $600 million, $35 million will be available for TIGER II planning grants.

Projects selected for TIGER II grants should include a "livability component."  Livability improvements may include projects for improved biking and walking infrastructure and that provide improved connection between residential and commercial areas, among other things.  The U.S. Department of Transportation website includes frequently asked questions on the TIGER grants and a summary of the selection criteria. 

The pre-applications will be available through the DOT system no later than June 23, 2010 and are due July 16, 2010 at 5:00 pm EST.  Final applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by August 23, 2010 at 5:00 pm EST. Announcement of the projects will be announced no sooner than September 15, 2010.

Utah Heritage Foundation has been active in Ogden for decades, working with the community and building owners to save historic buildings and create better policy for historic preservation and neighborhoods.  When we started a low-interest loan revitalization program in 1997 in East Central Ogden, there was a strong local belief that this was THE neighborhood of the future.

So when we have an opportunity to reclaim not only the history, but the original network of everyday life in a streetcar system like we do in the proposed Ogden-WSU Transit Corridor project, it truly is the chance to benefit the adjacent neighborhoods and business districts for decades to come.  Proper planning in advance to protect and enhance historic buildings and allow good new development in adjacent vacant parcels is the formula that all the stakeholders should be looking toward in selecting the right route.

We are on record from April 2009 in our letter to UTA that we believe 26^th Street would be the best option, as that was the route originally identified in the public scoping document.  However, if additional routes within the East Central Historic District neighborhood are under consideration such as 25^th Street, it has as many benefits as we suggest for 26^th Street for ridership.