The design for a proposed $6 million ice rink that its sponsors hope will bring Olympic athletes to Ogden will be completed next month, and construction could be under way before year's end.
The rink, to be located on the Weber State University campus northwest of the Dee Events Center, would be used as a training and warm-up facility for athletes competing in the 2002 Winter Games being sought by Salt Lake City."Right now we're completing the design phase" for the 2,000-seat complex, Max Thompson said Wednesday at the monthly meeting of the Utah Sports Authority.
Although start of construction has been delayed from the initial summer 1992 plan, groundbreaking could occur this year. Architectural plans should be completed by September so the job can be put out for bid, said Thompson, a member of the Ogden-based boosters group, Weber County People for Jobs, Opportunity and the Olympics.
He said construction would take about a year.
There could be some "slippage," however, which concerned Allan Lipman Jr., an Ogden resident and member of the Utah Sports Authority, which was set up to oversee expenditure of $56 million in taxpayer dollars allocated to fund Olympic venue construction.
"I'd like to see it slip forward rather than backward," Lipman said.
In addition to the Ogden rink, construction is under way near Park City for a combined luge, bobsled and ski jump venue. Downhill and slalom races would be held at Park City and Snowbasin, and a speed-skating oval is proposed for Salt Lake City.
Other ice events, like figure skating, would be held at the Delta Center.
The $5.93 million price tag for the Ogden rink includes many items the booster group hopes will be donated.
The Sports Authority has agreed to contribute $3 million toward the project. Weber County will chip in $1.2 million and the Ogden Industrial Development Corp. has promised $100,000, Thompson said.
In addition, he said, the volunteer organization has $220,000 in cash and commitments of $340,000.
Salt Lake City lost the bid for the 1998 Winter Games to Nagano, Japan, last June by four votes but remains the U.S. Olympic Committee's bid city for the 2002 Games.
Bid Committee Chairman Tom Welsh assured the authority at Wednesday's meeting that Utah will win the 2002 Games.
The city remains the U.S. Olympic Committee's bid city.
"The Games will come here. They will come here in the year 2002. You've got my promise on that," Welsh said.