Multiple posts, which included what appeared to be screenshots of a news story reporting that the Union Station building would be demolished, circulated on social media throughout the day. And while some identified the posts as April Fools’ Day pranks, others took them at face value.

The level of concern was such that Ogden City fielded several calls from residents who were dismayed over the supposed fate of the historic railroad hub.

“A lot of people bought into it and a lot of people didn’t buy into it, but we did get a number of calls over there and we were able to explain to callers that it was a joke. We’re not tearing down the Union Station,” Mike McBride, Ogden City’s communications director, told the Standard-Examiner.

“In fact, if you want to look at everything that we are doing, it’s contrary to tearing down anything. What we’re doing, actively, is building the Union Station up.”

The Union Station building that currently stands at the end of Historic 25th Street on Wall Avenue celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, a milestone that was recognized even beyond Ogden’s borders.

Looking ahead, McBride says the Union Station campus will play a part in welcoming the world to Ogden, an Olympic venue city, during the XXVII Olympic Winter Games in 2034.

“That involves a lot of planning and a lot of development and project team action that we are working on very hard right now to make sure that it comes to fruition,” McBride said. “And the work from that will leave a legacy that’s going to last.”

The city continues working to keep its downtown area vibrant and accessible while preserving its legacy and that of Union Station, as well as improving the connectivity between the two.

McBride noted that preserving Union Station and developing a renewed campus is a key aspect of the Make Ogden Downtown Master Plan adopted in 2020. In the years since, the city has worked to flesh out its plans for the building, a process that continues now through the Union Station Campus Advisory Committee.

“They still convene quarterly and that’s made up of people like the Chamber of Commerce, Ogden Downtown Alliance, UDOT, Weber State University, our citizens, UTA and our Convention and Visitors Bureau,” McBride said. “So, just a wide range of stakeholders.”

He added that the committee is set to meet at Union Station on April 16 (at 9:30 a.m.). Meanwhile, a public workshop regarding the Wall Avenue Corridor Plan will be held at Union Station on April 23 at 5:30 p.m.

The goal, McBride says, is ensuring that Union Station retains its status as the heart of downtown.

“One of the primary focuses of this administration is to make sure that the Union Station gets the attention that it deserves and that we as a community rally together and really put together a product in an area that we’re all really proud of,” McBride said.