The Front- Ogden

New Blog

2010-02-22T12:26:00.000-08:00

In order to better communicate (we acknowledge we've done a poor job here in the past) with our SLC and Ogden communities, we've created a new blog that will be updated much more often:

http://frontutah.wordpress.com

Check it out, and join in!

Thanks,
Dustin

Finally! Gesh!

2010-01-08T15:54:00.001-08:00

Here a couple of pics of actual construction for those of you who wouldnt have believed me without proof!

More soon...

Progress Report

2009-11-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

Oh man, we're darn close.

GC bids came back higher then we were hoping, but, such is life. We're having to do some last minute fund-raising, though I'm not concerned. Anybody out there interested?

Brought some more knowledgeable climbers up to the space last weekend to double check some design elements - everyone is still giving us the thumbs up.

Got to work some other details out, but we're pretty focused on a Dec constructions start date, and a March opening (bouldering and group area). Very exciting.

Update...

2009-10-07T10:26:00.001-07:00

Ok, so, yes, we've received approval for the building permit. The plans are now out to bid to general contractors - bids due back Oct 16th. As long as the cost fits the budget and is in line with previous estimates, we should be able to begin construction in November, with a dreamy opening date in March. Not exactly the perfect scenario, but, at this point, as long as it gets done is what matters! Thanks for the continued support and interest!

Late Update....

2009-09-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sure that most of you are wondering what the heck is going on with Ogden Front. And, yes, from some of the emails that I have received, I'm sure most of you have lost hope. I dont blame you. I sometimes do too.

First, I can tell you, that the devil is always in the details, and the number of hurdles that we have had to go through were greater than we expected. I'm not one to make excuses on non-delivery, so all I can tell you is that we continue to diligently work on progressing the unseen steps. Much to the dismay of our architect and engineers, we've made lots of changes and tweaks to the design in order to make sure we've got the right one. I can also tell you that the construction plans for the gym have been in the permitting process for now 2 months, which is much longer then the two weeks we had expected. The good news is that we have made all the requested corrections and are simply awaiting confirmation. Obviously, receiving the actual building permit is a huge step, and the result of years of planning and work by many many parties.

So, whats the plan?! What's the schedule?!

I'd love to tell you that we're going to be open in October, but as you can imagine that's impossible. As is November. Probably December too. We're likely to start construction in October, and if we finish this size project in 90 days we'd be rock-stars. Believe me, this schedule is not the one we want. Big projects take time, and lots of money, and lots of committment from those that have it on the line. I know most of you understand that this will not be some hole-in-the-wall gym, that we are not multi-millionaires, and that the Ogden Front represents an enormous capital investment and time commitment to the Ogden climbing community and the Ogden community as a whole. Please continue to be patient and supportive as we work through the process. It'll be worth it. We've always said we need the community behind us for this develop and to succeed, and this continues to be true.

If any of you have questions or have construction resources to offer, please call me on my cell - (801) 209 8542. I'm more than happy to chat.

- Dustin

Another Step Forward

2009-05-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a productive day in Ogden for The Front. We met with our neighbors at Amer Sport before meeting with the Ogden Business and Community Development Committee.

The Committee was impressed with our past performance in Salt Lake City and the progress we've made for the Ogden Front. We also had a chance to talk about our thoughts on bringing a Pro Climbing Comp, like the Mammut Bouldering Championships during Summer OR, to Ogden. Mayor Godfrey made it down to watch the 2008 Bouldering Championships Finals at the Shilo Inn and is pretty excited to help bring these types of events to Ogden, especially since we can run them along with the Xterra Events. Ogden City Officials are truly psyched for this gym to be built, and they have approved a $90,000 Business Development Loan to help fund the project.

However, they won't sacrifice loaning us tax payer money if they're not convinced we can pay it back.

One of their requirements is that we show significant community support - Founding Members. A couple weeks ago we sent out an email to all Founding Members with a contract extension link. If you haven't responded to that email please do! We know we have the needed support in Ogden...but we need to prove it! If you didn't receive an email but are a Founder, please email sandy@frontslc.com and we'll send you another link. If you did, respond! If you're not a Founder, now is the time!

As a reminder...This WILL be a premier climbing gym. No joke. We'll have close to 10,000 sq.ft. of roped climbing and bouldering. The size of the bouldering area will be about the same size as that at The Front in SLC, plus there will be another 180 linear ft of roped climbing - that's around 30 rope lines, many of which will be close to 40ft long! We will also have cardio and weight equipment, yoga and Pilates classes, available and included in our memberships. We guarantee you'll be impressed with the facility, and that it will be no comparison to anything Ogden has or has had before.

Its been a long journey to get this gym developed. We've weathered one of the arguably biggest financial meltdowns in history. Help us make this gym a reality by renewing your Founding Membership or becoming a new Founding Member.

Ogden Bouldering Comp

2009-04-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Jonny Landry

Thanks to Daniel Turner and his crew from the Weber State Wilderness Rec Center for putting on the Ogden Climbing Festival and for showing The Front such great hospitality at the events.

Rachel MacGuffy

Front- SLC Members and Front- Ogden Founding Members got busy at the Bouldering Comp last Saturday, winning and/ or placing high in many of the divisions. Great job, everyone!

Melissa Lipani

Check out the results by going HERE, then clicking on "Score Sheet, Ogden Bouldering Comp"

Photo Credit: Coach Chris

Online Contract Renewal

2009-04-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

We are sending out the Online Contract Renewal link to all Founding Members today. In less than 30 seconds, you can extend your Founding Member contract. The extension is to December 31, 2009. We expect The Front- Ogden to be open for business in October 2009.

If you are a Founding Member and do no receive the Contract Extension email by Thursday, April 16, please Sandy at sandy@frontslc.com, so we can update your email address and send you the link.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project and helped us get this far!

If you haven't signed for a Founding Membership, time is running out. We're only selling 250. Go to www.frontogden.com now to download a contract.

We'll also be at the Ogden Climbing Festival Events this weekend. You can also fill out a contract there.

Only 67 Founding Memberships Left!

2009-04-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

We're limiting the number of Founding Memberships to 250, and there are only 67 left!

We'll be keeping track of the number of remaining Founding Memberships on this Blog (check out the column to the right). Don't miss out on your chance to get super low rates for the life of your membership, plus recognition as having been part of bringing a premier indoor climbing facility to Ogden.

Go to www.frontogden.com to download the membership contract.

Thanks to all our Founding Members who have supported this project from the beginning. We couldn't have gotten this far without you.

FREE 2 Week Membership to The Front-SLC!

2009-04-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

Weber State University is putting on this year's Ogden Climbing Festival April 17-18. There will be a Boulder Field Clean Up, Gear Demo, Bouldering Comp, and Slideshow event.

The Ogden Boulder Field Clean Up is at 10AM on Tuesday, April 14.

Sign up at The Front Climbing Club to volunteer for the Clean Up and receive a FREE 2 Week Membership!

Meet new friends. Check out a rad bouldering area. Contribute to keeping our climbing areas clean and accessible.The sign up sheet is at the front desk at The Front! Come in or call 801-466-7625 to volunteer!

Learn more about the Ogden Climbing Festival HERE!

Ogden Climbing Festival next Weekend!

2009-04-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

Weber State University's Wilderness Recreation Center is putting on this year's Ogden Climbing Festival next Friday and Saturday.

Come out and meet fellow climbers at one (or all) of the awesome events being held on campus and at the Ogden Boulder Field.

Learn more HERE!

In addition to the Boulder Field Clean Up and Bouldering Comp, there will be a slideshow presented by Joe Kinder, as well as a Bouldering Clinic by past Front- SLC Member, Collette McInerney.

Get involved. Make new friends. Make a difference.

The Front- Ogden is now on Facebook!

2009-03-06T10:24:00.001-08:00

For all of you Facebook addicts out there, you now have one more place to visit in the virtual world: The Front- Ogden!

Log on and join now to meet fellow Ogden climbers! Find The Front- Ogden on Facebook HERE!

Another Step in the Right Direction

2009-02-06T14:27:00.000-08:00

As hoped, the new construction bid has come in around 25% lower than the first. We’re currently making some additional design and floorplan changes that will result in a larger and broader-use facility. Look forward to these new plans in the coming weeks.

We’ve reached about 185 Founding Members, with a good number of Founding Member online pledges that haven’t yet sent in their Founding membership Agreement. With the new construction costs, the Ogden Front has more life in it than ever. However, we still need to hit that 250 Founding Membership level to insure the financial viability of the project in the fragile first year. If you haven’t sent in your agreement, please do so today! And if you know of anyone that might have the vision that you first 185 members do, please get them an agreement!

We’re always interested in your feedback, but as you can see from this blog, we have received none. Our hope is to make this a community gym, but we can only do so if we hear from you. Please take a moment to post a comment on the blog and let us know you’re out there.

Construction Update!

2009-01-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

Construction update: We’ve received a set of bids back from one of the larger General Contractors in town. The bid came in a little high and, in our minds, didn’t reflect the competitiveness of the current construction market. We’ve provided plans to a smaller, but very competent and experienced, General Contractor and met with him and his subs last week at the site. They’ve identified some areas of potentially major cost-savings and we expect to have a bid back from them in the next week or two.

Design: We’d love to hear some feedback from you all on the floor plan and wall design, particularly the lead and bouldering area. You can view the 3D model here.

It’s been great to meet so many Founding Members and their families who have been coming down to The Front in SLC. Thanks to all of you who have been coming down and bringing your neighbors and coworkers to check out the gym.

Founding Members get a discounted Monthly Membership to The Front in SLC. Click HERE to learn more about that deal.

Thanksgiving and Festivus

2008-11-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

The Front would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving. The Front will be closed on Thursday but will be open at 7AM on Friday. Yes! There will be yoga.

Next Saturday, December 6, is the Festivus Feats of Strength Bouldering Comp. Only the first 65 preregistered climbers are guaranteed an awesome event t-shirt. Register now by clicking on the link to the left if you haven't already.

Not only will we have $3000+ in schwag from our sponsors, there will be 3 problems sponsored by Toyota Trucks. Climbers who send those problems will automatically be entered into a raffle to win CASH! That's right- cash. As in, when we do awards at 2:30, it's "Boom. Here's a hundred dollar bill, y'all!"

For more info about the comp, plus the Schedule at The Front next week click HERE!

Be sure to visit our sponsors by clicking on their links to the left and do all of your holiday shopping with them! We couldn't have these events without them.

Good news!

2008-11-24T14:15:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving came early this week as we found out that the American Can Building, upon engineering inspection, meets criteria to be occupied "as is" in regards to seismic regulations. We had been expecting to possibly have to do some additional and unexpected major structural work on the building, which would have been time consuming and, of course, expensive.

With one more major hurdle completed, our list of things to be thankful for just got a little longer.

The Front would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Status of The Front- Ogden

2008-11-12T15:10:00.000-08:00

“What’s going on with the Ogden Front?”

That’s a question we’ve heard a lot over the past several weeks at The Front. It’s actually a question we ask ourselves each day. Of course, there isn’t a simple answer. It’s also an answer that has been changing weekly.

The Good News:

The Front is working diligently to open a premier indoor climbing facility in Ogden in the American Can Building at 2030 Lincoln Ave. We are committed to this project and fully expect to see it become a reality. We have currently invested tens of thousands of dollars into the project and have made good progress. We have received approval of our plans from Planning and Zoning, and have informal approval of our 95% construction drawings from the Ogden Building Department. The City of Ogden and current building owner are very supportive. Even better, the construction plans are fitting into budget with no major code issues. We are continuing to gain community support in both Founding Memberships and partnerships with other businesses and organizations. Everything is looking very positive.

The Less Good News:

We had hoped to open The Front - Ogden before the end of the year. However, due to some relatively minor engineering and construction complications, and the major economic implosion, we have had some additional hoops to jump through. We’re sure you can imagine the complications of starting or expanding a business in the current economic environment. Over the past 4 months the project has definitely been touch-and-go, but we have diligently worked through the issues and now have a clear understanding of the scope of the project. We again apologize for the lack of communication, but without a clear picture we didn’t want to send out erroneous messages.

What we need from You:

Founding Members of The Front- Ogden have a complimentary membership at The Front- SLC until Nov 30, 2008. We still need 250 Founding Members to get this gym opened, and your current Founding Membership will legally expire Dec 31, 2008. In order to extend the Founding Membership until Dec 31, 2009, we will be sending, by mail, an extension request. We can’t afford to lose any of the 180 members we currently have, so please help us keep progressing this project by signing and returning the document. Founding Members will be locked into the discounted Founding rate for the duration of their membership, whether that’s one year or twenty.

For Founding Members who would like to climb at The Front- SLC between Jan 1, 2009 and the opening date of The Front- Ogden, we are offering a discounted month-to-month Front-SLC membership rate at $35/month for individuals and $53/ month for couples, which is 30% off The Front’s annual rate. Additional family members are $10 each per month. This rate is only available to the first 250 Founding Members. You can cancel this membership at anytime, with 30 days notice, and will automatically be cancelled when The Front-Ogden opens.

Where to go from here:

Architects, engineers, contractors, and our management team are working daily on this project. With progress and support we currently have, we are confident that The Front-Ogden will be built within the next 3-10 months. The time frame is not what we expected or would have wanted, but such is life. In the near future, when the walls are built, the routes are set, and we’re all climbing together in an awesome new gym, we’ll all know what it took to make it happen. Thanks to all of you who are taking this leap of faith with us. We’re proud to soon be a part of the Ogden climbing community and honored to have received the support from all of you. Please visit frontogden.com regularly, and you can provide public feedback and questions on The Front-Ogden Blog.

Thank you to everyone for your time, feedback, and support.

Best regards,

The Front