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Ogden • Members of Weber County's Recreation, Arts, Museums and Parks Board got the hard sell Wednesday on Ogden's Field House proposal from Mayor Matthew Godfrey and Chief Administrative Officer John Patterson.
Its chances are not looking good, however, with Ogden scoring sixth on a list of seven major projects that sought funding.
Godfrey and Patterson hoped to sway the board to award $2.4 million in present and future RAMP tax dollars to the recreation facility that would occupy 5 acres near 24th Street and Kiesel Avenue.
"If you want a big legacy project, you'll have to make allowances," Godfrey told the panel as he sought six more months to raise the other funds and assemble all the property.
The RAMP board typically allocates money to projects that already have those squares filled. So far, the $40-million project has partners and fans — but no funding.
"RAMP is the Good Housekeeping seal of approval," Patterson told the panel. "It's what we can use to ask private donors for funds. Your $2.4 million is 6 percent of this project, but it is so much more important than that."
For years, Godfrey has branded Ogden as an outdoor high-adventure destination in an effort to spur its economic rebirth. And he believes this particular project could help the city turn a corner.
"We think that this can help us get to the point where we do have economic momentum," Godfrey said, "and people will start coming here of their own accord."
The giant recreation center would house a 60,000-square-foot waterpark, six tournament tennis courts, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, 250-meter cycling track with sports infield and a jogging track.
While Weber State University and the Ogden and Weber school districts have voiced strong support for the facility and are listed as partners, none have been able to commit any finances.
"If this was such a hot deal, you'd have business people wanting to invest. And they're not there," said RAMP member Jeannie Hall, who suggested that the Field House be put to voters as a bond issue.
With backing from the Weber County Commission, the panel chose to scrap its somewhat nebulous "legacy" category Wednesday because no entity besides Ogden knew of its existence.
That decision gives the board leeway to allocate a total of more than $1.2 million to major projects this year.
The board meets again Monday at 9 a.m. to rescore the applications and determine who gets what.