OGDEN — Rodney Simonsen and Dr. G. Albert Wimmer and his wife, Fern, were looking for a better place to live. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was looking for a good use of some property west of the Ogden LDS temple. City officials were looking for something to spur downtown development.
They all found what they were looking for in a new, 221-apartment complex dedicated Friday. The Colonial Court Apartments was built on church-owned land and developed by Zions Securities Corp.
Those at the complex's launch Friday raved about the three buildings' beauty, their proximity to the temple and its significance to revitalizing downtown Ogden.
"Zions Securities is pleased to be part of what I describe as 'the new Ogden,' " said W. Mack Lawrence, chairman of the board of Zions Securities. "We're very pleased to be part of the changes we see in Ogden. We want to get Ogden back to the prominence it once enjoyed."
Colonial Court is for people age 55 and older, although up to 20 percent of the apartments will be available for leasing to others. The first residents moved into their apartments in September. Occupancy currently is about 30 percent.
Each building contains three levels of apartments and lower-level parking. The complex has 53 studio apartments, 132 one-bedroom apartments and 36 two-bedroom apartments, with rents ranging from $390 to $800 monthly.
W. Kent Money, president of Zions Securities, said Ogden City's new public safety building, just west of the apartments, prompted the apartment planning. The design of the apartment buildings complement surrounding buildings and will help revitalize the downtown area, he said, adding that Colonial Court is convenient and beautiful while providing needed housing.
The apartments are near several businesses, including those in the beleaguered Ogden City Mall. Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey noted that the apartment complex is the first but not the last step in downtown revitalization. He anticipates the apartments will be a motivator for other developers.
"This is THE catalyst in that process," Godfrey said. "This is the icon. This is what we can point to and say, 'Other people are doing it.' "
Rodney H. Brady, president of Deseret Management Corp., agreed. "This edifice is a signal to the community that downtown Ogden can be the very, very best," Brady said.
Elder Cecil O. Samuelson of the LDS Church's First Quorum of Seventy also spoke of the buildings' significance. "Ogden has a glorious past, the present is wonderful, and I think the future is going to be more impressive," he said.
Wimmer and his wife were among the first tenants. The couple's age precluded them from the upkeep of a house, and Wimmer said Colonial Courts is close to the temple, his chiropractic office and businesses.
"This is going to take over. It's inspiring to have the support of the city, and I think it will spur economic development because of the way it has enhanced the city," he said.
Simonsen's church activities also were a key reason for his moving into an apartment. "This is a place where it's easy to go back and forth (to the temple)," he said.
Todd & Associates served as project architect and Tingey Construction Co. was the general contractor.
E-mail: bwallace@desnews.com