OGDEN, Iowa—Recognizing the desire of Ogden to accelerate its housing interests, the Ames Economic Development Commission (AEDC) has come to an agreement with the City of Ogden for an enhanced level of support beyond those that would generally be expected.

The agreement comes as a result of the City of Ogden’s annual membership investment in the Boone County Economic Growth Corporation (BCEGC), which entered a partnership with the AEDC earlier this year. The overall goal of this agreement is for the sustained, planned, and coordinated growth of housing in the Ogden area.

This effort is supported by the City Council, Ogden Legacy, and is being led by the Legacy-Housing Committee.

“This new relationship with the Ames Economic Development Commission will allow us to build on the strong partnerships we have with Ogden Legacy and the Boone County Economic Growth Corporation,” says Brian Reimers, Ogden City Council Member. “We believe together we’ll take our economic development efforts to the next level.”

In addition to the existing housing programs in the community, additional focus areas will include new housing developments in the City of Ogden and/or the Ogden School District, Downtown housing units above businesses, and options for senior housing. There will also be an effort to in-fill lots within the city and to increase rural housing within the Ogden School District.

“We have a number of exciting projects in the pipeline including aggressive housing plans that we hope will bring many new people to the Ogden area,” says Craig Christensen, Ogden Legacy President. “We are looking forward to the AEDC team to assist us in achieving our goals.”

“We are excited for the opportunity to assist Ogden in its desire to create more housing and economic development opportunities,” says Dan Culhane, President and CEO of the Ames Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Commission. “The community has a resilient can-do spirit that is essential to moving them forward and our team is already activated on their behalf. I look forward to what we will accomplish together.”

For more information on housing development in Ogden, please contact Ogden Legacy – Housing Committee Advisor Brenda Dryer, at brenda@ameschamber.com.

(contributed press release)