City and state officials gathered Friday for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the $17.3 million expansion of the Elgin Sports Complex. Plans call for the addition of three synthetic turf, multiuse playing fields with lighting and fencing, restrooms, a concessions building, playground, walking trails and shade pavilion on land east of the existing complex, south of Route 20 and east of McLean Boulevard. “Athletic fields are more than plain surfaces,” Parks and Recreation Director Maria Cumpata said at the event. “(They) serve as the heart of community recreation, promoting both physical health and social connection. For our youth, these fields will be a place for development where (they) can grow, learn teamwork and develop life skills that go far beyond the playing field.” Plans to develop the 87 acres adjacent to the 107-acre complex date back to 2017. The property, once part of the Elgin Mental Health Hospital site, was donated to the city by the state of Illinois. Elgin awarded a construction contract to the George Sollitt Construction Co. in June, and the expectation is that the fields will be ready for use by late summer 2025. “This is a great day,” Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain said. This artist’s rendering shows the expansion planned for the Elgin Sports Complex. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday for the million project. (City of Elgin) Kaptain talked about the history behind the property, recounting that historian Bill Briska, who wrote a book on the Elgin Mental Health Hospital, once told him the city originally purchased the property in the 1800s and later donated it to Illinois. That the land should return to the city from the state means it has come full circle, he said. The expanded sports complex is going to be “an economic engine” that will make Elgin a destination for sports tournaments that will bring in people from out-of-town who will spend money on food, lodging, entertainment and shopping, Kaptain said. An added benefit is traffic in the area improve thanks to the new entrance to the facility being built on McLean, he said. State Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, who worked with state Sen. Cristina Castro and state Rep. Anna Moeller, both D-Elgin, to secure state funding for the project, said that as a school social worker for 15 years, she saw the benefits children gain from having fields on which to play sports. When Elgin officials came to Springfield seeking funds, Villa said she was excited to learn officials wanted to build more ball fields that could be used for several sports, including soccer. That sport is an integral part of the Hispanic community for both children and adults, she said. “I thank you, the city of Elgin, for your vision, and I can’t wait to be here for the first set of games,” she said. Moeller was on the Elgin City Council when the state donated the land back to Elgin, she said, so she knows the expansion has been something the city’s wanted to do for a very long time. “These things don’t happen without strong leadership, strong vision, great staff and people coming together to support our young people,” Moeller said. “(Elgin) is only getting bigger and better. These types of projects make that a reality.” Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.