Out of every classroom, lecture hall, and hallway, there is no space in the MN building busier than the gym. At times, it might be easier to get a parking spot at 7:55 than to catch an open slot in the weight room schedule.
Overcrowded sports facilities are a growing worry in the Millard community. In partnership with the Millard Public Schools Foundation and other generous donors, the GreenState Millard Activities Center is set to debut in the fall of 2026.
This state-of-the-art center will feature basketball and volleyball courts, an innovation lab, an esports lounge, multi-purpose classrooms, a sports performance gym, an indoor turf field, and a cross-country trail on its 40-acre site located off 204th and Q Street.
“Construction is now in progress, marking a major step forward in Millard’s commitment to community transformation — made possible entirely through private funding and generous donor support without the use of tax dollars,” Millard Public Schools (MPS) Foundation Chief Operations Officer Marilyn Chollett said.
Chollett oversees sponsorships, donor partnerships, and marketing for the activity center. She worked with GreenState Credit Union to give the activity center its full name, GreenState Millard Activities Center, which was announced in a naming rights partnership on August 25, 2025.
“GreenState Credit Union is very excited to be part of this project. Community giveback is core to our mission, so supporting the Activity Center is a perfect fit,” GreenState CEO Vic Israni said.
Although work on-site has just begun, plans for the activity center have been developing for many months. MN Activities Director Keith Maly, along with activities directors from high schools and middle schools across the district, was brought in on the project in the summer of 2024.
“We knew that it was a need for our community because at the high school level and middle school level, our facilities are constantly being used. We wanted to try to relieve some of that pressure of use from outside communities by giving organizations a space to practice and compete,” Maly said.
The first challenge was finding a space large enough to house such a robust facility. In addition to room for multiple volleyball/basketball courts, parking was also a concern. For every inch of indoor space, there needed to be as much, if not more, space for parking. Lastly, it was important that the activity center was centralized within the district.
“We were also looking for a facility that was centrally located for all the high schools and all the middle schools. We didn’t want it somewhere way north for one school and then in the backyard of another,” Maly said.
The first site considered was the JCPenney building in Oakview Mall. The central location was perfect, but the building lacked the square footage needed for multiple athletic spaces. Knowing it would be near impossible to find a pre-existing building to fit their vision, it was decided that the GreenState Millard Activity Center would be built next to Horizon High School.
“The good thing about using the area where Horizon is that there are around 45 to 50 acres that we’re going to develop. And on the weekends and evenings, we add additional parking to the facility because Horizon is not open,” Maly said.
As the activity center is still being constructed, the MN athletic department is considering how MN athletes will utilize the facility. A highlight of the abundant space is that everything will be in one place, eliminating the need to drive across town for different facilities.
“To make it more convenient for families, we started trying to put all aspects of sports programs together. We (MN) may be able to start weight training and conditioning at the activity center because the facility will employ a company that is going to strictly run the strength conditioning program,” Maly said.
Regardless of how MN athletes will engage with the facility, the MPS Foundation hopes an activity center with so much to offer will attract people from across the district.
“I think one of the things the activity center will allow is an opportunity to have more programs in the future than we have had in the present or in the past. Because of the fact that we were limited by the space that we could give to people, there were a lot of things that we would have to turn down,” Maly said.
In addition to the numerous traditional courts and fields, the GreenState Millard Activity Center also includes a lounge for an up-and-coming sport, Esports.
“This facility will provide amazing opportunities for our youth programs and high school students. I love basketball, so that is exciting, but I am very excited for the esports lab. Esports has really progressed over the years, and I look forward to seeing our students and community benefit from this awesome space,” Chollett said.
The development of the activity center will occur in phases. While not every aspect will be ready for the public by 2026, the facility will be ready to welcome community from across the district. So if you don’t find yourself at a Green State Millard Activity Center event, be sure to go take a look at this amazing space.