By Scott Schwebke
Standard-Examiner staff
Last updated
Thursday, December 9, 2010 - 10:55pm
http://www.standard.net/topics/lds-chur ... oses-doors
OGDEN -- Residents of the Ogden Lodge were scrambling to find a new place to live Thursday as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints finalized the purchase of it and plans to demolish the motel to pave the way for future development.
Brandi George, 29, said she and her 9-year-old daughter, Kailee, have been living at the Ogden Lodge since September and learned only last week they would have to move by today.
She spent Thursday packing her sparse belongings in preparation for relocation to the Ogden Rescue Mission.
"I'm trying to keep my head up," George said stoically. "Things will get better."
But George became emotional recounting how, out of necessity, she ended up at the 79-room Ogden Lodge at 2110 Washington Blvd. She previously lived at the St. Anne's Center, but hasn't been able to find an apartment because of a felony conviction.
"No one wants to rent to someone who has a felony," George said. "No one wants to give you a chance."
The LDS Church intends to finalize its purchase of the Ogden Lodge in the next few days and will demolish the hotel soon, Scott Trotter, a spokesman for the church, said in a prepared statement.
"The property is of interest to the church because of its proximity to the Ogden Utah Temple and the church's well-established support of downtown redevelopment efforts," he said, adding that plans for the land have not been determined.
The Ogden Lodge purchase is not connected to a major renovation at the temple scheduled to begin in the first half of 2011 that may take two years to complete, said Trotter.
The LDS Church did not disclose the purchase price for the motel and its accompanying property. The land encompasses about an acre and is valued at $341,480, while the motel building is worth $638,413, according to records with the Weber County Assessor's Office.
Mike Sayssan, who has owned the hotel for a decade, said he has been negotiating with the LDS Church for about a year and is unsure of future plans for the property. He declined to reveal the purchase price.
He also said Ogden Lodge residents were informed several weeks ago that the motel would be closing.
The LDS Church understood that residents were properly notified about the motel's closing, said Trotter.
"The church has been assured by the seller that occupants were given sufficient time and assistance to identify new accommodations and that they would be treated with dignity and respect as they sought new housing," he said.
Ralph Janes, 65, who has lived at the Ogden Lodge for five months, said he's fortunate to have found a mobile home in North Ogden to purchase. However, he doesn't believe it's acceptable for motel residents to be forced to move on such short notice.
"I don't think they treated us fairly," said Janes, adding he learned only last week that the Ogden Lodge would be closing. "They just dropped it on us."
Leslie Chesnut, 70, who has lived at the motel for about a month, said Thursday she isn't looking forward to finding a new place to live and hasn't minded her stay at the Ogden Lodge.
"It's not where you live, it's how you live," she said.
