The surf is up -- not.
Ogden's simulated wave pool -- called Flowrider -- is down for repairs. The drywall is crumbling and beam structures are corroding. City taxpayers are on the hook for $309,000.
The surf should be back up by the end of the month, according to John Patterson, Ogden's chief administrative officer.
The repairs and upgrades are estimated to cost $389,000. R&O Construction, which built the Salomon Center where the Flowrider is housed, is responsible for $80,000 of the total.
A design flaw and an inadequate heating and air-conditioning system led to high humidity inside the enclosure at Flowrider, Patterson explained.
"It would rain on you from the ceiling," he said. "It was just terrible."
Ogden owns the Salomon Center that also is home to a simulated sky-diving feature, a rock-climbing facility, Gold's Gym and two restaurants. The $18.5 million facility opened in June 2007.
Operators lease the Salomon Center for $695,000 annually.
Patterson prefers to view the repairs as an upgrade, rather than an expense. The city's portion of the funding for the work will come from revenues generated by the municipality's industrial park, Business Depot Ogden.
But City Councilwoman Amy Wicks said planners had been warned that the heating and air-conditioning system at Flowrider was inadequate.
"Some bad decisions were made. It's unfortunate that it wasn't done right in the first place," she said. "But the city's project manager at the time was intent on keeping costs low."
She said the funds needed to repair Flowrider could have better been spent on city infrastructure, such as roads, sidewalks and park upgrades.
At this point, however, Ogden has no other choice but to proceed with repairs, according to City Councilman Jesse Garcia.
"Yes, it would be nice to spend the money on other things. But we can't not have the Flowrider operating properly," he said. "It would mean a significant loss of revenue."
The Salomon Center is part of The Junction, a multifaceted retail complex that is at the center of Ogden's downtown rehabilitation efforts.
The municipality bought and demolished the old Ogden City Mall and has put more than $40 million into The Junction project.
The Salomon Center's popularity has exceeded expectations, Patterson said. He predicts that its popularity will increase.
"Every aspect of the Salomon Center has been excellent," he said.
Wicks, on the other hand, said she isn't convinced that is true. The administration's visitation reports have been "vague," she said.
