Nearly a decade after a redesign contest went nowhere, Ogden's Lester Park is getting a makeover.
Pickleball courts, an updated playground, a sports field and an ice rink are all part of the revitalization plan. The city has secured $2.4 million for park improvements, including city funds and Weber County RAMP grants, though it will have to find additional funding to complete the project.
The first groundbreaking is planned for this fall, with more phases expected to follow.
The goal is “activation, activation, activation,” said Shalae Larsen, the architect contracted to work on the project.
“We wanted to create a space that was inviting and welcoming, and wasn't just focused on one or two big events,” she said.
Instead, the park is designed to facilitate smaller events and constant use. The park shares a block with the Weber County Main Library and Golden Hours Senior Recreation Center.
This isn’t the first time the town has talked about renovating Lester Park. In 2016, Larsen, who also lives in the neighborhood, contributed to the winning proposal in a redesign contest facilitated by the library and other community partners.
The plan never took shape. At-large city council member Bart Blair said there was no funding at the time.
“It's sad that in 2016 we went, we had all this energy, and there was people excited, there was plans submitted, and we even chose a winner, like we chose — and then nothing,” he said. “And then it just sat and sat and sat.”
Resident Eva Barnett remembers bringing her kids to the library to vote on a design, “and just being excited and believing that our neighborhood matters just as much as other parts of Ogden,” she said. At the time, she wanted a better park for her kids. But as she started working with Ogden Community Action Network and collecting survey responses from more than 300 neighbors, it became about facilitating community connections for generations.
“So by helping Lester Park be a space where people come together and connect, you're improving social and emotional health,” she said. “You're in a space for enjoying nature, which we know is good for our mental health.”
While other playgrounds around Ogden have been built or updated in the past decade, Barnett is optimistic that it’s now Lester Park’s time. Many residents lack reliable transportation, she said, so it’s important that they have good facilities nearby.
“We walk with our kids, and on a hot summer day, you can only get so far and still want to enjoy a playground.”
The neighborhood is more than twice as dense as Ogden as a whole, and per person has a quarter of the park space, according to the city’s December 2024 funding proposal for a RAMP grant. The median household income for the park’s census tract was just under $39,000 in 2023, compared to $70,000 for the city as a whole.
Beyond helping neighbors, Barnett said a better park would bring more people to the whole area.
“So it's not just helping the neighbors who live next door, it's helping the businesses that are around the park. It's helping the library bring more people in.”
Pickleball courts would appeal to seniors who currently play in the Golden Hours gymnasium. The design also includes space for seniors to take their exercise classes outdoors, like zumba, tai chi and yoga.
Younger residents, meanwhile, look forward to an upgraded playground. Ten-year-old Sabira, who attended the Aug. 27 open house about the revitalization plan with her mom, said the current one is boring and seems more suited for 5- to 7-year-olds.
“The swings are baby swings, so I get stuck in them, and that's not fun.”
Council member Blair wants Ogden’s parks to be so good that they overwhelm people.
“I know we can't do it at every park, but I think we should do it in our Central Park, right? The one that's right here in the middle of our city.”
Macy Lipkin is a Report for America corps member who reports for KUER in northern Utah.
