The grand opening of the revitalized Legacy Events Center, now called the Western Sports Park, marks a new beginning for Davis County.
“I’m really excited about this building. I think it’s a great opportunity to just bring youth sports closer to us,” said Alesa Larsen, a Farmington resident
Larsen is a mom of four, all of whom play sports. “My kids play lacrosse, and I’ve traveled all over the country doing sports in different tournaments. And it’s nice to have a facility that’s equal to what we’ve seen out of state here in the state of Utah and in Davis County.”
The 55-acre sports campus features six full-sized soccer fields, 120,000 square feet of multiuse indoor space and two indoor arenas that have stadium seating.
The project was celebrated on Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and speeches from community members.
Established in 1990, the venue was originally designed to host the Olympic Rodeo Cultural Event during the 2002 Olympics.
Following the 2002 Olympics, the venue faced challenges competing in the equestrian market. As a result, the center transitioned to hosting a wider variety of events, including dog shows, trade shows, and youth sports. Over the years, the demand for youth sports has grown significantly.
“Something that makes this facility very special is the location. We’re centrally located along the Wasatch Front and the western U.S. with easy access to Salt Lake (City) International Airport,” said Davis County Commissioner Bob Stevenson.
Stevenson highlighted that the Olympics were a catalyst to create the campus, and said he’s looking forward to 2034 when Salt Lake City will host the Winter Olympics, and the facility will play a fundamental role in that.
The facility will be the largest project in Davis County history. The $70 million project was secured through tourism tax dollars.
“I think it’s just an incredible accomplishment for the county to revitalize these 55 acres and turn it into a destination youth sports facility. I think it’s going to have a tremendous amount of economic impact, within Davis County and around surrounding counties as well,” said Sean Deghani, who serves on the tourism advisory board of Davis County.
A major highlight of the ceremony was the announcement of a new partnership with Common Spirit Health. Kyle Brostrom, president of Holy Cross Hospital in Davis County, emphasized the partnership’s commitment to community health and well-being through promoting sports and physical activity.
Bryant Larsen, communications manager for Common Spirit Health, which operates Holy-Cross Hospitals, said, “This facility is absolutely gorgeous, and to think about all of the incredible experiences that our youth are going to have here. It’s just a really good day. (In the) coming years, as they compete and learn teamwork and it just promotes community togetherness ... it’s a win for the community, Larsen said.
The Western Sports Park’s grand opening event takes place on Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The celebration will include tours and athlete meet and greets with Utah colleges and pro teams.