Originally built in 1968, the Marshall N. White Community Center was closed in June 2023 and demolished to make way for a new and improved 68,000-square-foot space. After nearly two years, the center reopened on May 23.
The center is named after Detective Sgt. Marshall White, an Ogden police officer who was killed in the line of duty in 1963. Sgt. White and five other officers were responding to a break-in, when he was shot by the suspect. He succumbed to his wounds three days later.
Sgt. White was a World War II veteran and served as a law enforcement officer for fifteen years. His family previously lived on the property where the center now stands.
In the center’s entrance, a mural featuring Sgt. White, painted by a team of Chicago artists, is displayed. Damon Lamar Reed, Terrence Hammer, Pugz Atomz and Vel Kalum spent nine days painting the piece in remembrance of Sgt. White’s life and legacy. Images throughout the mural include photos from a family scrapbook.
Ron White, Sgt. Marshall White’s son, contributed words to the piece that he felt represented his father. Circling a portrait of Sgt. White are the words “leader, friend, father, unifier, coach, hero, gentleman, service, community, family.”
In addition to the large mural in the entryway, four additional pieces fill a main hallway inside. These works, painted by LaToya Peoples, depict activities the center has offered since its inception and what it will continue to offer. One section features the late Bill Lyons, director of the center during the 1970s and ’80s, teaching a child to box.
The new center amenities include a gym, fitness studio, basketball courts, a raised track, baseball field, outdoor sports areas, classrooms, a pool and more. The reimagined facility offers more to the community than the previous structure.
Ogden City Recreation Director Edd Bridge said it was important to make the center feel welcoming.
“We are really trying to make it a true community center,” Bridge said.
Annual memberships for the Marshall White Center range from $250 for youth (17 and under) to $600 for a household. Memberships are also available to non-residents at an additional cost. Classes and programs can be bought individually and range from $10 to $120.
The center offers application-based membership discounts, senior discounts and numerous scholarship opportunities. The center has plans to implement military discounts in the future.
“We’re partnering up with the Community Resource Center, and they’re going to offer free classes,” Bridge said. “They do an amazing job with the stuff that they do.”
The facility also received a $10,000 scholarship from the Government Employees Health Association for a “Learn to Swim” program. The program provides free swimming lessons to children, along with swimsuits and towels.
“It’s the greatest scholarship, and I’m so blessed that I was able to figure that out,” Cydnee Clarke, Ogden City’s aquatic recreation supervisor, said.
The new pool is a major upgrade from the previous one, which closed in 2018 due to a crack and leak. The new aquatic area includes lap lanes and a water playground.
Swimming lessons have been the center’s most popular offering so far, according to staff. Over 30 swim classes are listed online and are available for ages as young as 6 months. Aqua trampoline classes are set to begin in July, with aqua combat and paddleboard yoga launching in the coming months.
Large family restrooms, changing rooms and lockers are located near the pool and throughout the building.
“We try to make it comfortable for everybody to be able to come in and use,” Bridge said.
The center’s new fieldhouse will be dedicated to Officer Nathan J. Lyday, who was killed in the line of duty at age 24 in 2020. Lyday, an Ogden native, had served 15 months on the force and followed in the footsteps of his father, who was also an officer.
“We’re going to dedicate it on his birthday, which is Aug. 14,” Bridge said.
Two indoor, high school-sized basketball courts are available along with a large outdoor area and playground. Outdoor pickleball courts are currently under construction.
The center continues its partnership with Head Start, which was available at the previous facility. A designated area now features a bathroom, desks and a variety of toys in preparation for Head Start’s reopening in August.
“We’re excited about it because hopefully these are kids that are going to be using the center,” Bridge said.
Several classroom spaces host exercise, art and cooking classes. Most pottery classes listed for online registration are full, with only waitlist spots remaining. A toddler play area is also available.
“The idea behind that is someone could come and drop off their kid and then go work out,” Bridge said. “It’s a little different than running a daycare or a child drop — we’re doing stuff with them.”
Center employees lead children in tumbling, games and art while their parents participate in other activities.
During the summer, the Marshall N. White Community Center opens its outdoor field and playground to provide free lunch to children in the Ogden School District.
Bridge said the center’s grand reopening was a major event.
Ogden High School drummers led the crowd in celebration, and food trucks offered refreshments. A large audience filled the parking lot, with the overflow stretching into the surrounding streets.
“It was pretty amazing,” Bridge said. “I’ll probably never see anything like it again.”
Nancy Collinwood, a Marshall White Center Council member, said she has already seen the center’s positive impact on the community since its reopening.
“They had been waiting so anxiously for the center to open,” Collinwood said. “There are groups that have come every day.”
Collinwood encouraged residents to visit the facility and explore its offerings.
“This is a gem for the people of Ogden,” Collinwood said. “Come take a tour and check out the space.”
You can find more information about the Marshall White Center at ogdencity.gov.
