Ogden City Director of Community and Economic Development Brandon Cooper requested extra time presenting at Tuesday’s City Council meeting for the benefit of the public attending in a final attempt to put rumors regarding the Union Station to rest before a vote on the acquisition of land was to be taken.

Former Union Station docent and Ogden resident Theresa Holmes took to the podium during the public comment portion of the meeting to once again echo claims of the city’s intent to get rid of museums located within the station and gut the building.

Calling them unique and valuable assets to the community, Ogden City Mayor Mike Caldwell said neither the historic building nor the museums sharing Ogden’s history would ever go away and claims to the contrary, he added, are offensive.

“We are working really hard to protect and preserve that asset,” he said.

With initial steps in purchasing the property approved, Cooper said plans will move forward and open houses will be scheduled to gain further insight from the public on concepts for the future Union Station campus.

Renderings presented by Cooper during Tuesday’s meeting are conceptual ideas for the 8.06 acres of UPR-owned property immediately surrounding the station. Of the many questions posed by Cooper and others working to develop a conceptual plan, Cooper said they asked how the city could best care for Union Station as well as the artifacts currently housed in the building.

“We know that we cannot put our artifacts, historic collections and exhibits in the building and do it well,” Cooper said of the 115,000-square-foot museum. “We won’t get accredited doing that.”

According to Cooper, concepts for Union Station and its property to be purchased are envisioned with proper space needed to care for artifacts and museum inventory.

By framing Union Station with existing buildings and adding a new museum, people entering the station will experience it as part of the museum, Cooper said.

Holmes said she is not happy with the council’s approval for purchase of the land even though the city’s 50-year lease of the building from UPR is set to expire in 2027, which officials have said would most likely result in having to relocate all museums off the campus.

Amelia Jones, Union Station Foundation president, said managing the building before the city took over was difficult not only because of its size and age, but also because there wasn’t unified ownership, with the city owning the museums and leasing the building while UPR still owns the land.

“How are you going to try and improve a museum that sits on land you don’t own?” she said, expressing full support of purchasing the land and adding economic resources to pay and care for the property.

Following the public comment portion of the City Council meeting, prior to any discussion on Union Station, Ogden resident Angel Castillo spoke in line with Holmes and others upset by the Union Station, saying people don’t trust the administration to do what it says.

In response to the unflattering public sentiments, City Council Chair Ben Nadolski spoke of what inspired him to serve his community.

“The more I loved Ogden, the more it loved me back. It was a part of our culture, and I feel like we’re losing it,” he said.

Being most hurt by the seemingly broken spirit of Ogden, Nadolski said members of the community and elected officials need to engage one another in meaningful ways if there is to be leadership and progress in the community.

All documents, including public comments from city-commissioned studies over the years, are publicly available at Ogdencity.com.