Shovel Ready!

These can’t-miss projects showcase the latest and greatest design principles being built into the state’s newest schools, offices, apartments, and more.

North Capitol Building
Owners: DFCM, Capitol Preservation Board
Architect: VCBO Architecture
GC: Okland Construction
Estimated Completion Date: 2025

The North Capitol Building will complete the Utah State Capitol master plan’s vision as it replaces the 50-year-old State Office Building directly north of the Capitol. Comprising four stories over a basement, this 158,000-SF building is the home of numerous government offices, conference and meeting spaces, and the newly created Museum of Utah. The museum occupies the ground level, helping greet visitors entering the capitol grounds. The basement of the building houses a much-needed archive space that will protect some of Utah’s most valued artifacts.

The classically designed granite exterior closely matches the details of the original Capitol building designed by Richard Kletting. The base-isolated concrete structure will ensure the archive’s safety in Utah’s high seismic region while also accommodating for the heavy stone facade. The building’s four-story atrium will serve as a gateway for Capitol Hill guests and hold a grand staircase leading to the second-floor conference areas. Further north of the building sits a much-needed underground parking garage for use by both public and staff. Covering that plaza will be a landscaped plaza to help align the capitol grounds with the original intent of the historic Olmsted site design.

The State and design team are taking great care to ensure this building matches the dignity of the Utah Capitol and will last as an enduring addition to this historic and symbolic place.

Frederick Quinney Lawson Health Sciences Building

Owners: DFCM

Architect: Method Studio

GC: Layton Construction

Estimated Completion Date: August 2023


The proposed architecture and site design for the new building magnify Bridgerland Technical College’s mission to deliver competency-based, employer-guided career and hands-on technical education to support the Bear River Region. The building aligns with the college’s strategic plan to update and modernize facilities, programs, and equipment; build relationships; and promote and improve student success on their Logan campus. The new 75,000-SF space provides a timeless, modern cornerstone building with high-tech, purpose-built classrooms, labs, and support spaces for students and faculty. The building continues to elevate the important role of technical colleges in the community while also speaking to its specific healthcare purpose. The design is warm, inspiring, comfortable, sustainable and enhances wellness and learning as future students learn the importance of their role in healing. Careful use of texture, color, natural and artificial light, healthcare branding, organic materials, and connections to nature have been carefully considered and integrated. 



Cyprus High School

Owner: Granite School District
Architect: ELEVATE (Joint venture between Naylor Wentworth Lund, architect of record, and Fanning Howey, partner architect)
GC: Westland Construction
Estimated Completion Date: August 2025



Cyprus High School is a 504,000-SF, three-story school under construction on a new, 57-acre site in Magna. The process began with workshops including administrators and community members in which core values and goals for the projects were shared and explored for the nearly 3,000 students that attend the high school. From these workshops, the team formed guiding principles and imperatives that inform the architecture of future Granite School District high schools—including Cyprus High.


As the school looks to incorporate more applied technology spaces, ELEVATE included  rooms like mass-production-oriented wood shop, culinary arts-style foods lab, and metal shop focused on welding. 


Other touches like floor to ceiling bathroom stalls aim to accommodate the privacy of students while classroom wings have large, open exterior collaboration space with visuals into the more traditional classroom spaces for team-focused school work.


Cyprus High School’s design features plenty of glass and plenty of daylight for the tilt-up concrete school with form liner for visual and physical texture. Copper exterior finishes reflecting the importance of copper mining in Magna. 


4800 Lofts

Developer: IMH Companies, Next Level Homes
Architect: Beecher Walker
General Contractor: Pentalon Construction
Estimated Completion Date: Fall 2024


Located in Murray, 4800 Lofts is a new multi-family apartment and retail complex consisting of 371 apartment units and 18,000 SF of ground-level retail. The unit type in three of the buildings encompasses studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with a fourth building being home to a club house, additional studio apartments, and retail. The property boasts extensive and expansive rooftop and mid-level amenity decks with pools, hot tubs, firepits, and gathering areas, creating a resort-like atmosphere for residents. A unique feature of the property will be the community’s ability to access some of the amenity spaces. “We wanted 4800 Lofts to be an integral part of the surrounding community so it felt only natural to invite the neighborhood to have use of some of the amenity decks, in addition to the retail,” said John D. Thomas, President of the Utah Division, IMH Companies.


Kem and Carolyn Gardner Crisis Care Center

Owners: Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah Health, DFCM

Architects: FFKR Architects, architecture+
GC: Okland Construction
Estimated Completion Date: May 2024



The center will be a 80,000-SF facility in South Salt Lake on a property dedicated to creating a Mental Health Campus for individuals in crisis or having acute mental health issues. The building includes a 30-chair receiving center with non-refusal police drop-off as an alternative to the emergency rooms or jail, a 24-bed acute stabilization inpatient unit, outpatient services, neuro-modulation services, pharmacy and lab services, and an integrated emphasis on research, education, and training. The project will provide world-class, comprehensive, human-centered psychiatric care through services that are accessible for individuals to stabilize and de-escalate during a mental health crisis, as well as a bridge to the community and mental health system for recovery.

The project provides the highest safety standards for psychiatric patients. The spaces throughout the project promote patient comfort, dignity, and hope. The interiors are thoughtfully designed to create a healing environment that reduces the stigma around seeking care for mental health and demonstrates an investment in treating individuals with psychiatric needs.

Emery High School

Owner:  Emery County School District
Architect:  KMA Architects
GC: Westland Construction
Estimated Completion Date: August 2024


The new Emery High School in Castle Dale will include approximately 143,000 SF of new construction and incorporate approximately 130,000 SF of existing construction from the school’s Spartan Center and auditorium. The project is a two-story masonry building with steel joists and deck complete with main commons area with an upper balcony, administration and counseling offices, classrooms and labs, and district training room on the upper floor. Beyond the formal education features, the school will be chock full of amenities for Emery County students, like a media center with adjoining education networking rooms, computer labs, a home economics area with food and sewing rooms, and more. The school also aims to help students prepare for future careers via a shop wing with metal, wood, and automotive shops. Outdoor school amenities on the furnished site will also include soccer fields, while the new football stadium, baseball fields, and fieldhouse were just completed during phase one of the project.


Oro Apartments

Owner: Thackeray Company

Architect: Architecture Belgique Inc.

GC: Big-D Construction

Estimated Completion Date: 2025



Oro is the Spanish word for gold, and Oro will set the gold standard for luxury apartment living in Sugarhouse. Sprawling the length of an entire block, this 4-on-3 structured podium boasts 316 units in studio, one-, and two-bedroom configurations. 20,000 SF of courtyard amenity space is a main attraction that includes a pool, spa, terraced landscaping, multiple outdoor kitchens, and an entire rooftop dog park. The courtyard connects to a two-story clubroom and fitness center. Oro's amenities don't stop there, the site provides a mixed-use space including a new state liquor store and two additional retail pads. While the development completely replaces the old Dryer's Ice Cream site, Oro nods in appreciation of the site's past and will prominently display restored versions of the Dryer's Ice Cream Cone and Snelgrove Signs.


Shoreline Middle School

Owner: Provo City School District

Architect: Curtis Miner Architecture

GC: Westland Construction

Estimated Completion Date: Summer 2024



The New Shoreline Middle School is a redesign for the Provo City School District that will replace the existing Dixon Middle School. The new school will house grades 6–8 and have a capacity of 1,200 students.


The 179,000-SF school is intended to provide a safe, secure, and inviting learning environment designed around a central commons and administration suite that is accessed through a secure entry vestibule. The layout has flexible multi-use spaces as well as traditional classroom environments, thus providing a variety of learning experiences that embrace modern learning strategies. Natural daylighting is brought into every classroom and teaching space, providing a positive and happy environment that stimulates creativity and learning.


Traverse Heights Office Building

Owner: Woodley Real Estate

Architect: Babcock Design

GC: Okland Construction

Estimated Completion Date: Early 2023



From conception, the motivation behind the Traverse Heights Office Building has been to create an ultra-unique, top-of-market workplace product that appeals to high net worth companies. Sited on a prominent bluff overlooking the I-15 corridor with views over the Wasatch Range, Traverse Heights has a dynamic form that reaches out over Utah Valley. Structurally, the building is entirely concrete—post-tension suspended slabs, columns, and shear walls. This not only avoided prohibitive lead times in the steel joist and deck market, but created an unparalleled interior space with flat slab ceilings and a clear height of 12 feet for the office. East-Asian techniques of asymmetry and balance inspired the building’s uninterrupted flow from exterior to interior. Taking advantage of sophisticated heating and cooling systems allowed the design team to create a façade made completely of vision glass spanning from floor to floor, with no opaque panels. Intensely involved at every turn, the ownership group drove the design team to execute their vision of beauty defined by a minimalist simplicity and an exceptional material palette.


West Haven Junior High School

Owner: Weber School District

Architect: Design West Architects

GC: Hogan & Associates Construction, Inc.

Estimated Completion Date: Ready for the 2024/2025 school year


To combat rising construction costs, the new West Haven Junior High School in Weber County features a straightforward, functional floor plan for the 172,000-SF facility. The reasonable and cost-effective design meets Weber School District’s needs via insulated concrete forms, providing a cost-effective strategy for top-notch building performance, longevity, energy efficiency, seismic stability, and acoustics. Its design strategically incorporates color, light, and materials throughout the school in creative ways, featuring vibrant paint and tiles, large way-finding graphics, glass garage doors, and flexible shared spaces to support and encourage a student-centered learning approach.


Core classrooms feature open, flexible configurations thanks to operable pocket doors that lead out to a large common area where students can collaborate in project-based study. The school also offers classrooms dedicated to science, sewing, cooking, ceramics, band/orchestra, drama, computer technology and education, metal shop, wood shop, and art. An acoustically tuned cafetorium with collapsible risers for auditorium performances doubles as a lunchroom for added value. The performance platform connects on stage to the performing arts classrooms for music and drama convenience.


Millcreek City Hall

Owner: Millcreek City

Architect: MHTN Architects

GMGC: Okland Construction

Estimated Completion: August 2023


Millcreek City’s theme “Connected by Nature” was embraced by the design team as a main guiding principle for the overall design. The new six-story building will house the city hall, police department, and dedicated areas for community members. The community areas consist of a market ground level for food and retail spaces and a community rooftop space with breathtaking views of surrounding mountains. Nature is represented throughout the building with the use of warm and earthy materials. The façade is articulated to give tribute to Mount Olympus and includes a rock-climbing wall for the community to use

Q&A with Nathan Goodrich

By UC&D • August 1, 2025
Nathan Goodrich

100 Years & Five Generations

By Brad Fullmer • August 1, 2025
Paul founded Paulsen Construction in 1925 after immigrating from Norway 16 years prior. Sprague Library in Sugar House was originally built by Paul, and then restored nearly 100 years later, led by current President John Paulsen.

State of Industry; State of Progress

By Utah C&D • August 1, 2025
West Valley City Veteran’s Memorial Expansion Owner: West Valley City Architect: EDA Architects GC: Okland Construction Estimated Completion Date: September 2025

Showroom Showstopper

By Taylor Larsen • August 1, 2025
Commercial office is not dead. The market is alive and well, according to the design pros at HB Workplaces team. Their new office and showroom in Draper, and what it has done for employees and clients, is a case in point. All it took was a change in scenery. Transitioning from the B'Nai Israel Temple, built in 1890, to a new space was a welcome change for the team. "I just remember working between 2015 and 2020, and it was just," Keilian Meyer trailed off as he described the former office, a historic religious building converted into an office and showroom in 1987. Minimal natural lighting, rooms and layouts misaligned for team needs—their space wasn't bringing out anyone's best work. Meyer, Marketing Director for HB Workplaces, said going to work didn't engender a sense of engagement. "It was kind of punch in and punch out." But everything coalesced with their move. "The timing aligned perfectly," Meyer said of the June 2024 move and their rebrand from the year before from Henriksen/Butler to HB Workplaces. Dual Purposes Come to Life It aligned with every real estate broker's favorite word: location. Planting the HB Workplaces flag in the award-winning Baltic Pointe made perfect sense, especially with its epicenter locale between the booming economies of Salt Lake and Utah counties. HB Workplaces CEO Dave Colling summed it all up succinctly: "Our new headquarters is not just another building; it's a statement of our appreciation and stewardship of design, built upon decades-long heritage of our own, along with MillerKnoll, underscoring our commitment to excellence." The mass timber ceilings in HB Workplaces' first-floor office in Baltic Pointe—the first of their kind for a commercial building in Utah—are part of that commitment. Everything seems warmer, healthier, and better under the all-lumber ceiling. "We've always been drawn to inspiring architecture, and the natural warmth and intentionality of this structure made it a natural fit," said Meyer. HB Workplaces sought to make their mass timber home a showpiece for the beautiful and wide-ranging possibilities of today's commercial interiors, serving as an office for the HB Workplaces team and a showroom for interior designers and architects looking to envision their next project. That dual nature comes through perfectly across the space, with the showroom piece especially highlighted in the "Living Room" and its 382 SF of mid-century modern glory. The unforgettable Eames Lounge chair catches the eye, but closer inspection reveals some nods to the B'Nai Israel Temple's stained glass windows and other homages to the deep histories of the Herman Miller and Knoll brands. The room's mid-century-style lounge chairs, couches, ottomans, and side tables—all MillerKnoll line, of course—combine with gentle lighting to create the perfect spot for hosting. Brit Badger, HB Workplaces' VP of Client Development, explained how the Living Room is ideal for getting to know their design partners and clients, especially for a first meeting. "It's not all the same seating everywhere, like it would be at a conference room," she explained of how the varied seating choices—the Nelson Coconut Lounge Chair is often first dibs—help to create a relaxed and comfortable environment. "It's cool to see who chooses what. It's a fun way to start."

ASCE 2025 Report Card For Utah

By Brad Fullmer • August 1, 2025
Bragging about a “C+” might seem gauche, but Utah is one of only four states to earn that high a grade, according to the May 28 release by the Utah Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) of the 2025 Report Card for Utah’s Infrastructure. The cumulative “C+” for the Beehive State is the highest mark ever given by ASCE to any individual state—the report card itself spans 12 categories of infrastructure and is virtually unchanged from 2020 (ASCE issues report cards every four years). Utah's grade is also one step higher than the national infrastructure average grade of “C” in the ASCE 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which dropped in March. Roads (B+) and Bridges (B) remain the stars of the class, as the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) continues to receive consistent state funding in furthering its aggressive program of building new projects to meet ongoing demand, while diligently maintaining existing infrastructure. “Our transit and transportation are doing fabulous," said Anna Lisonbee, President of ASCE Utah and an Engineer-in-Training at South Jordan-based Hansen, Allen & Luce. “UDOT and UTA are lauded as some of the most efficient [organizations] nationwide, so we’re doing very well in that category.” Aviation infrastructure was the only category to see a grade increase—somewhat predictable given the sheer amount of capital investment made over the past decade at Salt Lake International Airport, Provo Airport, and other regional airports statewide. Three categories—bridges, s tormwater, and transit—saw grade decreases. The remaining eight categories held steady from 2020. "Utah is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, and state leaders have taken steps to ensure the reliability of infrastructure systems as more people move here to enjoy Utah's thriving communities, amazing outdoors, and high quality of life," said Craig Friant, Utah Civil Practice Lead for South Jordan-based Wilson & Company and Chair of the 2025 Report Card for Utah's Infrastructure. Utah grades per category: Roads: B+ Bridges: B Drinking Water, Solid Waste, Transit: B- Aviation, Dams, Hazardous Waste: C+ Stormwater, Wastewater: C Canals: D+ Levees: D-

Toward The Promised Land

By Taylor Larsen • August 1, 2025
"What gets you out of Egypt doesn't take you to the promised land." The quote, as I first heard it, came from Ron Dunn, Founder of Salt Lake structural engineering firm Dunn Associates. While he was talking about the differences between founding and growing a company, the same principle holds true in developing a robust transportation infrastructure. In other words: "What got us here will not take us there." What has taken us here has been development dedicated to personal vehicles and last-mile freight—a stellar network of roads and highways from massive investments in horizontal construction. But what will get us "there" to the promised land? What will bring us to a future where Utahns can have the freedom to move without a car? Unified Plan for a Connected Utah? We'll certainly wander in the West Desert without a plan. Lucky us, we have hundreds of agreed-upon proposals across metropolitan planning organizations, cities and towns, counties, and even the Utah Department of Transportation. The Beehive State's guiding document toward long-term transportation plans, whether for cars or not, is found in the Utah Unified Transportation Plan, also known as the Unified Plan. The visionary document aims to prioritize funding across multiple transportation options and give residents choices, ranging from personal vehicles to mass transit and active transportation. Residents and metropolitan planning organizations across the state have added their input to further unify the state's trajectory. Key in Utah's Unified Plan, as documented, is analyzing and ultimately determining how transportation projects in Utah should be funded between 2023 - 2050. With projected needs across that timeline estimated at $153 billion in today's dollars, current revenue sources generating just under a projected $95 billion, and future revenue streams projected to generate just over $18 billion, we're going to be short. But where is that money going? Most often, it's funding roads. According to the Unified Plan, transportation needs from road capacity, maintenance, preservation, and operations project at a whopping $110 billion between 2023 - 2050, with a $29 billion funding gap in revenue. Funding future mass transit capacity ($14.8 billion) and operations ($19.8 billion) over the next 25 years costs a fraction of the projected costs for roads and highways. It's an apples-to-oranges comparison, admittedly, as massive funding for highways and freeways has created so much, but where do state priorities lead? Budget at a Glance Utah continues to tread the asphalt and concrete highway to prioritize highway funding. UDOT's FY2026 funding document shows $2.5 billion in funding. Estimated Transportation Investment Fund (TIF) expenditures, primarily used for improving or optimizing capacity, are projected at $1.2 billion. Within the TIF, Class B & Class C Roads, county roads and city streets, respectively, will receive $261 million, Highway Systems Construction $205 million, and Operations/Maintenance $254 million. It makes sense when $883 million in projected revenue for FY2026 comes from user-based fees, permits, and gas tax revenues (set to be 40 cents per gallon in 2026). On the other hand, UDOT-funded mass transit receives a bulk of its budget from the above-mentioned Transportation Investment Fund—35% of the index fuel tax sales tax goes into the Transit Transportation Investment Fund. For FY2026, transit and commuter rail projects will receive $103 million. John Gleason, UDOT's Sr. Public Information Officer, said there is a major shift happening within UDOT over the last decade-plus to give some "gas" to other forms of transportation. "All transportation is important to us. For every project we undertake, we are looking at the different components across all modes—cars, transit, bikes, trails," Gleason said. "We need to keep an eye on how the entire transportation system can function across the state." The words and shift in priorities are welcome, but what "Keeps Utah Moving", will not be more highway lanes or highway construction that receives the lion's share of transportation funding. Utah highways, like those in so many other states, are the victims of induced demand. The phenomenon is a matter of economics. For vehicle transportation, each lane added, highway developed, or road widened helps to expand capacity on these newly modified transportation corridors. However, expanding capacity does not mean solving traffic concerns. While capacity expands, more people are "induced" to use these freshly expanded corridors, lanes fill back to capacity, and commutes return to their sluggish nature. This never-ending quest to meet our transportation needs is set to play out again on I-15. UDOT is set to add another lane on I-15 from Farmington to Salt Lake, and do so at a multi-billion-dollar price tag. Surely this lane will be "The One" that fixes the traffic problem on Utah's busiest transit corridor? Utah may still be adjusting to roundabouts, but will we ever get out of this circle?

Limitless Sky

By Brad Fullmer • August 1, 2025
Standing atop the now-tallest building in Utah—the dynamic 451-foot, 680,000-SF Astra Tower in downtown Salt Lake City—Lance Shields was succinct in describing the otherworldly, 360-degree views available from the 41st-floor rooftop patio. “Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” mused Shields, a Principal with Salt Lake-based HKS Architects and one of a half-dozen architects on HKS’ team who contributed to the design of Astra Tower, which features 377 total units, two levels of penthouse suites, and more than 40,000-SF of top-shelf amenity space. Peering southeast to majestic views of the Wasatch Mountains, Shields referenced the striking cantilever structure gracing the building’s southeast corner—a concession that preserved the breathtaking view by eliminating what would have been a structural column. Adding this approximately $2 million change to the bottom line only further illustrated the owner’s desire for a world-class luxury apartment tower. “The uninterrupted views of the valley are really breathtaking at the top floor and is the one thing that visitors I have taken through the project consistently comment on as the best experience they have had,” said Shields, adding that it would have been easy to justify a column in that corner. “I have to hand it to the vision of our team and the owner to see the value of the views and taking steps to preserve it.” Indeed, Boston-headquartered Kensington Investment Company (KIC) had been eyeing the Salt Lake market since 2017, ready to make a splash. In 2018, it purchased the site once home to Carl’s Jr. and hired HKS in 2019 to get the ball rolling on the design side. The pandemic forced KIC to pause its timeline, with construction formally kicking off in January 2022, led by Salt Lake-based Jacobsen Construction. “We were taking an enormous risk and writing a massive check while making sure we had as many people with experience on our team as we practically could,” said Ed Lewis, CEO of KIC. “We asked ourselves if Salt Lake City was ready for this kind of product—with no [like-building comparisons] to look to—while making the project financially successful. Putting together the capital stack with no comps in the state, and ensuring the team knew what they were doing, was challenging.” Engagement with the community was a priority from the start, said Shane Rensmon, President of Real Estate Development for KIC, as was finding local A/E/C firms with the moxie to take on a unique hybrid design-build project of this magnitude, a delivery method “not common in Salt Lake City, but common across major markets,” he said. “Ownership wanted to utilize local consultants and vendors as much as possible to get the community involved and engaged with the project, which presented new challenges in designing and constructing Astra Tower,” said Rensmon. “We leveraged [KIC’s] skills and experiences to help guide the design and construction teams on issues that they have not seen before or had little to no experience in.” Hotel-like Vibe with Unmatched Amenities Emir Tursic is no stranger to massive projects, having cut his teeth in the hospitality realm as a draftsman-turned-project architect for HKS on Block A of the enormous $10 billion MGM City Center project in Las Vegas from 2007-2008, which included the 61-story, 600,000-SF Aria Hotel. “It was a project I grew up very quickly with,” recalled Tursic, Office Director for HKS’ Salt Lake office, who ended up managing part of the project before it ended. “After this, I could go to the moon and not be scared of anything.” Even amidst the challenges for Tursic and his team, Astra Tower proved to be one of the most exciting, generational opportunities in the realm of world-class residential high-rise design that—ho-hum—also sets a record as the state’s tallest-ever building. “We wanted to create a sustainable urban community that focuses on wellness and sustainability,” said Tursic. “Sustainability is not just about energy and carbon footprint, it’s also [about] health and wellness and the environment. We have this huge amenity program—40,000 SF of indoor and outdoor amenities space focused on physical and mental health.” Tursic said dispersing major amenities across three building levels was a key functional design consideration. Level 8 kicks things off with an expansive club lounge that includes a demonstration kitchen and entertainment area, a state-of-the-art fitness center where views overlook Gallivan Plaza, a remote office space with a conference room and meeting rooms, and what Tursic calls “The bonus space”—an expansive 10,000 SF outdoor urban park. “Instead of a roof on top of the eight-story parking structure, we created a space with an outdoor lawn, hammocks, fire pits, grills—it’s a great social space for Astra’s residential community,” he said. Level 23 includes the outdoor pool and indoor spa, highlighted by a wellness center, steam room, sauna, recovery spas, treatment rooms, and private locker rooms. The pool deck overlook offers excellent views of the Oquirrh Mountains to the west. Level 41 tops the amenity spaces—literally—with an outdoor kitchen, entertainment area, and a spacious outdoor viewing deck that looks down on Salt Lake’s adjacent tallest buildings. “We wanted to provide a variety of experiences,” said Tursic. “The 41st floor is meant for quiet and solitude.” ROAM Interior Design of Los Angeles provided interior design on every level. "With Astra Tower, we set out to design interiors that reflect both the soul and natural beauty of Utah, infused with the energy of modern city living," said Deanne Teeter, Design Director at ROAM. “Every amenity—from the tranquil spa on the 23rd floor to the rooftop lounge with panoramic views—is intentionally crafted to foster wellness through biophilic connection and a true sense of home in the sky." “Astra Tower was purposefully designed to exemplify KIC's commitment to o perating market-leading apartment buildings, featuring state-of-the-art amenities and an unwavering dedication to service excellence,” said Joe Bird, Vice President of Real Estate Development for KIC. “This intentional design ensures an unparalleled living experience, blending sophisticated facilities with exceptional resident-focused service to set a new standard for urban residential excellence in Utah.”

One for the Ages

By Brad Fullmer • August 1, 2025
Ralph L. Wadsworth watches demolition activity on the I-80/1300 East Bridge Slide in August 2023 with granddaughter, Bradynn Wadsworth (Tod’s daughter), illustrating his genuine passion for construction. (all photos courtesy RLW Construction)

Community First

By Taylor Larsen • August 1, 2025
First. Best. Leader. These are some of the many positive ways people described the late Marshall White, the civic hero and namesake of Ogden's past and future community centers. Marshall White is remembered as the first black police officer in Utah killed in the line of duty after being fatally shot in 1963. Equally important was his dedication to other causes outside of police work: the loving father of seven children; veteran and military doctor who helped establish a clinic at Hill Air Force Base post-WWII; youth mentor who partnered with the Elk's Club to establish the Wall Avenue Recreation Center; President of the Ogden chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Marshall White embodied community, and the original Marshall White Community Center, constructed five years after he died in 1968, was its physical manifestation. The building became a safe haven for youth, especially those with darker skin and different ethnicities from those of Utah "pioneer" ancestry, to learn to swim, take art classes, and participate in sports. But as time passed, the building fell into disrepair as Ogden's population shrank from the 1970s through the 1980s. Structural issues in the building appeared before a crack in the pool grew into a metaphorical chasm as COVID and its effects further disconnected society. Ogden needed champions who would follow in White's footsteps to bring people together, and create a space that would continue his community-building legacy. New Center; Relit Community Beacon Salt Lake-based VCBO was hired in 2020 to evaluate the old facility and propose future alternatives. It began, as VCBO Principal Brent Tippets described, "to replace a failing pool and building. […] It quickly became apparent that this community revolved around the Marshall N. White Community Center as both a gathering space and a historical icon for all minorities and people of humble circumstances." "Budget is always a challenge, but perhaps meeting all the affected parties' expectations was more so," said Tippets. "What was originally a pool and gymnasium replacement became a versatile destination with a plethora of participation options. He and the VCBO team worked with an Ogden City-appointed steering committee of passionate residents who provided valuable input on the importance and utilization of recreation and community spaces. "The Mayor, City Council, and City administration were committed to funding the project at the required level to achieve the grander vision for the facility," said Tippets. The Ogden City Council initially set aside $18 million and later increased the budget to $32 million for a new, 68,900-SF community building, doubling the size of the previous structure. Construction Challenges But challenges arose as soon as excavation commenced. Construction teams led by Vernal-based BHI encountered a dark, organic-looking soil that was previously undiscovered in geotechnical test borings. The surprise soil raised immediate concerns due to its lack of stability and reliability in compaction. BHI's history as an industrial contractor, where safety and lightning-fast communication are treasured, escalated the soil problems immediately. They collaborated and aligned with ownership, geotechnical engineers, and designers amidst evolving conditions to create a plan. Instead of utilizing native soils as initially planned, excavation teams removed the unsuitable material and imported structural fill from Ogden and nearby Plain City to meet compaction and bearing requirements, all while maintaining oh-so-important project momentum. "Working with Ogden City involved a different set of communication and coordination protocols than our typical projects," said BHI Superintendent Scot Marrot. "There was a greater emphasis on public transparency and adherence to specific city regulations. However, it was incredibly fulfilling to collaborate with the city officials who were passionate about providing a valuable resource for their community. The partnership fostered a strong sense of shared purpose and pride in the final outcome."

Daybreak: Then and Now

By Taylor Larsen • August 1, 2025
Thoughtful consideration on Oquirrh Lake transformed the initial idea for the water feature into a community and ecological asset. The 67-acre lake weaves around the 130-acre recreation space, residential area, and wildlife habitat. (Main rendering and photo pictured courtesy LHM)