Ogden’s Washington Boulevard forgotten, some business owners say
Mariah Goers calls around looking for a copy of a specific comic at Heebeegeebeez on Wednesday, July 29, 2015.
The sun sets on Washington Blvd. in downtown Ogden on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2015.
The sun sets on Washington Blvd. in downtown Ogden on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2015.
The sun sets on Washington Blvd. in downtown Ogden on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2015.
Mariah Goers, right, helps Steven Mason find comicc at Heebeegeebeez on Wednesday, July 29, 2015.
Mariah Goers helps Justin Jacobson during a game of Magic: The Gathering at Heebeegeebeez on Wednesday, July 29, 2015. Jacobson stopped by the store with his uncle to learn how to play the card game.
Figurines line the shelves at Heebeegeebeez on Wednesday, July 29, 2015. While the store is billed as a games and comics retailer, they also sell movies, art and feature a large area for customers to play games.
Rachael and Jon Pust chat behind the counter while their daughter, Alura plays with a piece of candy at Heebeegeebeez on Wednesday, July 29, 2015. The Pusts have been operating the game and comic book store along Washington Blvd. in downtown Ogden since 1998.
OGDEN — The popular ’60s English singer Petula Clark was right. When you’re alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go downtown.
But these days, in some parts of this particular downtown, you could still be feeling a bit alone and/or lonely. Washington Boulevard, for example.
It’s hard to argue that Ogden’s downtown area isn’t a better place than it was just 20 years ago, and officials are always quick to point out that the downtown area continues to “improve.” It’s just that some parts are improving faster than others.
Whereas Historic 25th Street and The Junction are offered as shining examples of progress, much of Washington Boulevard has remained virtually unchanged — particularly on the east side between 22nd and 26th Streets.
Deb Grushcow, owner of Urban Chic Boutique, at 2262 Washington Blvd., describes the east side of Washington Boulevard as the land that time — and the city — forgot. She believes Ogden officials have been giving all their attention to the more glamorous parts of downtown, ignoring Washington Boulevard.
“We’re the poor stepchild when it comes to 25th Street,” she said.
Grushcow would like to see the city doing more to attract people downtown.
Doing more? Like what?
“They need to keep the lights on,” she said, referring to the decorative lighting strung in the trees lining the street.
Grushcow said her shop used to stay open until 6 p.m.
“But nothing was happening, so now I close at 5,” she said. “People just won’t come down here.”
Grushcow would also like to see more downtown events held on Washington Boulevard, to attract more people. She says other areas get things like sidewalk sales, farmers markets and block parties.
“The only thing we have on this street is parades,” she said. “And after the parade, I have to clean up all the litter. … Oh, and all they want to do is use my bathroom, and their kids want to play with the clothes on my racks.”
Seven years ago, when Grushcow moved her business from South Ogden to Washington Boulevard, she was told downtown development would be revitalizing the area. She’s still waiting..
No disco balls
One of the more established businesses on the east side of Washington Boulevard is Heebeegeebeez, a comic book and game store at 2574 Washington Blvd. Co-owner Rachael Pust says the store has been in the same spot for 20 years.
“Which the building reflects,” she says with a laugh.
Although Pust has seen some improvements along the east side of Washington Boulevard, it all depends on which block you’re talking about.
“Our block stays the same, it hasn’t changed,” she said. “In fact, Funk’n Dive’s neon sign is the only thing that has changed on this block.”
Pust says Ogden is trying to turn things around on some of blocks along Washington Boulevard, but not in her vicinity.
“I think the building on the next block got painted last year, and everybody went ‘Oooooh!’ ” she said.
Kelvyn Hulsey, who was shopping in Heebeegeebeez, said he lives just a few blocks away with his fiancee.
“I really like the downtown area. It’s my favorite place to be,” he said. “It’s a little different vibe, but it’s not necessarily that it’s a bad or good vibe. The buildings are older, so it’s a different personality. But I can definitely see this area building up.”
Pust believes change will come to her side of Washington Boulevard — and sooner, rather than later. Not that she’s in a hurry to make Washington Boulevard the next Historic 25th Street. If her landlord were to upgrade the building, Pust says her rent would go up. And she’s in a 3,000 square-foot building, so even a slight increase in rent on a square-foot basis “would really add up.”
“Here’s the thing,” Pust said. “Realistically, (Historic 25th Street) gets attention because people put money into it. Folks around here complain, but they don’t put money into it. Do I want shiny new disco balls here in this building? Not if it means paying 25th Street rents. Those people pay dearly for all that attention.”
Cute as all heck
Five years ago, Julie Riley, owner of Popcorn Express, absolutely fell in love with the funky little storefront she inhabits at 2550 Washington Blvd. — but the rent was too high. A year and a half later, rents had dropped to where she could afford it. She’s never been happier.
“There’s more to Ogden than 25th Street,” Riley said. “My landlord is wonderful, and the building is cute as all heck. It’s not making me rich by any means, but I love life here.”
Her only complaint? It’s a common one: For customers patronizing the businesses along the east side of Washington Boulevard, it’s difficult to find parking. Indeed, Riley has opened a second Popcorn Express location in North Ogden because parking is such a problem on Washington.
“I’ll get calls from people who say, ‘I was going to come in, but there’s no parking,’ ” she said. “I just think as long as there’s a parking issue here, you’re not going to generate the money in the shops that tell our landlords to spruce things up here.”
Dax McClellan, owner of Savage Tattoo at 2450 Washington Blvd., also laments the parking problem — “Good parking is key,” he admits — but he’s not looking for any excuses.
“My opinion is, I like to take responsibility for myself and my business,” he said. “If I’m not making it in the business, it has nothing to do with the side of the street I’m on. … It’s easier to blame a city, or a side of the street. I’ve been here almost two years, and I think we bring our own vibe to add to this block.”
McClellan would love to see a return of the old Ogden Street Festival — which used to bring huge crowds to Washington Boulevard — but he doesn’t believe that will ever happen.
Slow progress
Maggie and Dave Rees own Pintura Fine Art Imaging & Framing, at 2340 Washington Blvd. The couple have been on the east side of the ‘vard for about three years, after spending more than a decade on Historic 25th Street.
They moved to the east side of Washington Boulevard to save money.
“We had two suites over on 25th Street,” he said. “Coming here, we were able to have it all together in one space and reduce costs.”
They acknowledge there’s not much foot traffic along Washington Boulevard, but that’s not as important to them since they already have a loyal customer base.
“If we were a startup, it’d be harder to make it,” Maggie Rees said.
Adds Dave Rees: “The only way we can make it work, is we’ve been around 26 years and have a good name. If you were a brand new business here, you’d be history in two to three months. There’s just not enough traffic.”
Scott Williams, manager of Farr’s Jewelry, at 2466 Washington Blvd., echoes those sentiments.
“If we hadn’t been a long-established business, we wouldn’t even consider coming downtown like this,” he said. “It just doesn’t drive the traffic.”
Williams says he believes Washington Boulevard is on the rebound, but progress is slow.
“I think the temple has had an effect, and that cleaned up a lot of the area,” Williams said. “Property values have gone up, and any time you have property values increase, it’s good for business.”
Really happening
Janith Wright, an owner at Clifton’s Ladies Apparel, 2254 Washington Blvd., has seen plenty of changes on the street over the years. In the interest of full disclosure, she’s on the Ogden City Planning Commission. And she believes Ogden is faring better than most other cities.
“Their downtowns are ghost towns,” she says, “But look at ours, and things are really happening.”
A decade from now, Wright says she sees more buildings on the east side of Washington being occupied.
“I’m seeing it spreading across the street from The Junction,” she said.
Dirk Moulton shares a similar view.
“I think the street was dead, but we’re going to see some growth,” said Moulton, who owns Jack’s Shoe Repair at 2246 Washington Blvd.
But Dave Rees, from Pintura Fine Art, says life on the east side of Washington Boulevard is cyclical — making it just like the rest of downtown Ogden.
“I think it will do the same thing that 25th Street has done forever in its life,” he said. “Three businesses come in, two go out. Three more come in, two go out. Two come in, three go out. They never can fill it up.”
Rees said it’s not city officials who are to blame for the struggles on the east side of Washington. It’s local consumers.
“If you don’t support the local stores, they go bye-bye,” he said.
Contact Mark Saal at 801-625-4272, or msaal@standard.net. Follow him on Twitter at @Saalman. Like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SEMarkSaal.
