OGDEN — Historic 25th Street, anchored by the city’s iconic Union Station, embodies Ogden’s free-spirited history as a bawdy railroad hub, as captured in its brand, “Still Untamed.”

Now, within easy view of Union Station, the five-story “Union Walk” apartment building at 144 25th Street — looming over its neighbors on either side — rises a second time, as if in defiance of its troubled past.

Summa Terra Ventures, LLC describes itself as “multi-family developers with a passion for helping cities, properties, and owners achieve their highest and best use in real estate.”

The developer hails Union Walk’s location in the heart of Ogden as top-notch: “You can’t get a better location than this one! Located right on Ogden’s historic 25th Street, this project is within walking distance of Union Station, the Frontrunner Station, City Hall, Lindquist Field, countless retail & restaurant options, and many professional office plazas.” 

Building blunders

However, a series of serious missteps occurred during the building’s first round of construction that forced the developer to wipe the slate clean and begin again from the ground up. Here’s a brief timeline:

• Late 2021 – Construction began on the controversial project, with public outcry over its unprecedented height.

• March 2023 – Ogden City officials ordered construction to stop due to use of lumber that was not fire-resistant.

• October 2023 – The building was deemed dangerous due to other structural deficiencies.

• December 2023 – The looming structure was completely demolished.

• January 2024 – Project developer, Summa Terra Ventures, filed a lawsuit against Union Walk’s contractor, Makers Line, along with other defendants. That litigation continues to play out in Ogden’s 2nd District Court.

• October 2024 – Rebuilding of Union Walk — as originally planned — begins again.

Moving Forward

Reconstruction of the 50,000-square-foot structure began anew in October 2024. Mike McBride, spokesman for Ogden City, said Summa Terra Ventures would rebuild the same project according to previously approved plans, but this time, vigorous oversight would be provided along the way.

“A complete structural review of the project was performed,” McBride said by email, noting that all required inspections are coordinated through Ogden’s Building Services Division “to ensure compliance with all codes and standards. City building inspectors are on-site multiple times each week as different portions of the project reach inspection milestones.” 

According to plan, Union Walk’s first floor will feature retail and commercial spaces, and 55 residential units will occupy floors two through five.

In answer to why the building grew so tall, McBride explained that the project originally received approvals in March 2020 when zoning code on 25th Street allowed a maximum height of 55 feet. 

“The Planning Commission and Landmarks Commission approved the five-story design at that time, with the upper two floors stepped back to reduce visual impact at street level,” McBride said. 

In April 2023, Ogden City reduced height limits to four stories (48 feet) except for projects approved under specific master plans. Since the 25th Street project was approved before that change, it conforms to standards in place at the time of approval.

McBride described the project’s rebirth as a “meaningful step forward in fulfilling the vision outlined in Ogden’s Make Ogden Downtown Master Plan.” That plan includes more downtown housing to bring foot traffic to the street’s shops and restaurants.

McBride claimed it was an “entitled project from the previous administration, meaning it had full approvals and rights to move forward with construction as originally approved.”

While a complete construction timeline is “difficult to predict precisely,” McBride said that as of mid-October, 23 residential units had passed their four-way inspections. 

Where to park?

The absence of attached parking also raised questions and eyebrows during the project’s planning process. 

McBride said that in March 2020, under prior Central Business District zoning code, planners waived all parking requirements for Union Walk that would normally be attached to projects of this type. That was likely due to lack of space and also to the massive Wonderblock redevelopment project now taking shape in the blocks directly south of Historic 25th Street. 

A post on Ogden City’s website in January 2023 said that it planned “to finance and build two public parking structures at the WonderBlock site” to support that new development as well as adjacent downtown parking needs. 

At that time, the city estimated the cost for those parking structures at $53.5 million to $85 million, with annual bond payments being paid from newly generated revenues from a downtown parking system, along with taxes generated by the Wonderblock project and lease revenues from previous city investments.Attempts to reach Summa Terra Ventures for further details about the Union Walk project were unsuccessful. 

Feature Image: Construction continues on the controversial five-story apartment complex on 25th Street. Photo by Cathy McKitrick.