Union Station and Wal-Mart

There has been considerable interest in Union Station restructuring and in the potential Wal-Mart downtown. Hopefully I can help clear up some of the misinformation that has been disseminated regarding these two issues.

Let me start by reaffirming that the doors are not going to close at Union Station. There has been some information suggesting we are plotting its demise. This is simply not the case. We are very committed to seeing this historical venue succeed. The museums and galleries will retain their same schedules. The changes we've made should be unnoticeable to the public. We have examined this issue with great deliberation and care. We remain convinced that Union Station can continue carrying out its mission with this reorganization.

These are hard times for municipalities. We, like other cities up and down the Wasatch Front, have seen contracting revenues the past two years and we have to react to it. We don't have the "luxury" of running deficits, nor would we want to do so. We are currently trying to cut $1 million out of our budget. We have required sacrifices from all departments to make this happen and now it's Union Stations turn to chip in.

No one likes to have their area cut. I can fully appreciate the frustration of those who work, visit or volunteer at Union Station. I know they are upset that people they know and enjoy have lost their jobs because the city needed to tighten its belt.

Change is painful but we will get through it and Union Station will continue to be a historical landmark, full of local heritage and a place of pride for our visitors. I am committed to that end. Union Station's best days as a museum and attraction are still ahead as the revitalization of downtown continues.

I have recently read with interest a few letters to the editor and e-mails that have expressed concern about Wal-Mart building a store downtown. Most of them are suggesting that this is a bad move because they are just going to be stealing business from other existing businesses and that they may cause some to go out of business. Hopefully reiterating some of this information will be helpful in allaying these concerns.

First of all, Wal-Mart made a decision many months ago to build another store between their two exiting ones. They subsequently identified two sites for this new store. One of those sites is on 21^st and Wall and the other is nearby, but just outside the Ogden City boundaries. So all of the harmful effects of a new Wal-Mart that have been described, in so far as they are valid, are going to happen even if we try to keep them out of Ogden.

Therefore, the decision before us is really the following: Do we want to receive the benefits of a Wal-Mart or not? The benefits are approximately $1 million per year in taxes, increased traffic downtown (which will greatly assist the small businesses in the area), cleaning up of a brownsfield site and urban renewal, to name a few. Wal-Mart is not receiving any tax break as an incentive to come to this area. They will be paying all their taxes, fees, etc.

A second issue that I think is important to bring up is that while the argument that new retail just steals from existing stores is certainly true, it's also true that this is what a free market is all about. None of us like to see companies go out of business, but to say that government should serve some role in making sure some don't go out of business is an argument against the fundamental principles of our economy and free society.

Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the world and they will be a major force in retailing for the foreseeable future. To be able to have them as part of our downtown revitalization is a tremendous opportunity. After learning of their interest in coming to downtown we called the international experts who have helped us put the downtown projects together. We asked them how Wal-Mart might affect our plans. They enthusiastically confirmed that their presence will not only help the existing businesses in that area, but also would help 25^th Street merchants, the new mall and the River Project. More traffic and patrons will be good for all of downtown.

Both of these issues are complicated and hard but we believe we are making decisions that are in the best interest of Ogden. We know that not everyone will agree, but we are convinced that they are necessary to see Ogden thrive once more.