October 2025 | Vol. 5 Iss. 10
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2025 General Election Voter Guide Learn about the candidates running for office
Governor signs the Great Salt Lake 2034 Charter
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Stakeholders pledge to protect the lake
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Western Sports Park – built with athletes in mind By Becky Ginos | becky.g@thecityjournals.com This newly remodeled 55 acre campus includes six full size outdoor fields, which includes a championship field with bleachers.
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ARMINGTON—Davis County officials and guests came together on Sept. 16 to celebrate the opening of the Western Sports Park, a 120,000 square foot expansion of what was the Legacy Events Center campus. “This investment represents a new lane for economic and tourism for Davis County,” said Kent Andersen, Davis County director Community and Economic Development. “At $70 million this will be the largest project investment in Davis County’s history.” Established in 1990 and supportive of tourism tax dollars, the previously named Legacy Event Center was primarily designed to host horse races and equestrian events, said Andersen. “In 1998 the Legacy Center building opened. It was built to host the 2002 Olympic rodeo cultural event.” Since 2002 the venue has struggled to compete in a shrinking equestrian event market to remain relevant and economically viable, he said. “The center transitioned to hosting a variety of events, including dog shows, trade shows and most importantly youth
sports. These events continue to dominate the demand for the facility.” Andersen said in 2021 at the direction of the County Commission, the county then planned the redevelopment of the campus into a new sports destination. “In June 2023 we broke ground, announced our new name, the Western Sports Park and two years later here we are.” Something that encouraged investment in this facility is the location, he said. “We love Farmington but there’s something unique about this location. We’re centrally located along the Wasatch Front in the western U.S. with easy access to Salt Lake International Airport. Station Park elevates us from an amenity perspective like no other.” Imagine being here for a match, said Andersen. “You’ve got a four hour break. Where do you go? Do? You walk across the street and see a movie or grab some lunch.” This synergy was recognized at the beginning and is evidenced by the strong pedestrian connection that was created by Station Park, he said. “All of this pairs well with other northern Utah operators like Lagoon, Antelope Island and our surrounding ski areas. These elements are what sets us apart from the competition.” This newly remodeled 55 acre campus
WSP, located between the Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch Mountains, spans 55 acres and redefines Utah’s sports and events landscape.
includes six full size outdoor fields, which includes a championship field with bleachers, said Andersen. “There are new outdoor restrooms. Teams, coaches, officials rooms. Two stadium seating equipped arenas with fixed seats.” The facility can host basketball, volleyball, wrestling, soccer, lacrosse, dance tumbling and cheer. “You name it, we’ll try it.” Andersen said one unique opportunity that presented itself during the design took them beyond the focus of youth sports. “We realized with a facility of this size and enough seating we’d be able to host even larger things. In particular, select high school graduations of which we’re planning for May of 2026.” The uniqueness of what this will bring is amazing, said Commissioner Bob Stevenson. “We are going to not just have this for the people here in the state, we’re going to have this for people hopefully from all over the nation who travel here and spend their money to be able to use this facility.” Sports are more than just the game itself, said Jessica Merrill, Davis County Tourism director. “It teaches everyone and our kids and our youth about teamwork. They teach us
resilience. They teach us how to fail and how to succeed and how to keep going.” During the celebration, Merrill announced a partnership with CommonSpirit Health. “This partnership connects a brand of family and community with an organization equally committed to health, wellness and service,” she said. “That’s why I’m so proud to announce that these arenas that we are in today will now carry the name CommonSpirit Center at Western Sports Park.” “This facility was built with the athletes in mind,” said Commission Chair Lorene Kamalu. “It revolves around them having a great experience here, along with their families and fans.” No general fund money was used, she said. “It was funded by tourism dollars. Property tax didn’t go into this.” This is a sweet spot for tourism, said Kamalu. “Hotels, restaurants and shopping help bring taxes into the county, city and state.” Imagine the memories, the victories and the successes that’ll exist right here on this floor, Andersen said. “You can sense the champions ready to burst onto the scene of the Western Sports Park.” l
At $70 million the Western Sports Park will be the largest project investment in Davis County’s history. Photos courtesy of Discover Davis