Scheels Sports Park
With the success of Legacy Pointe anchor SCHEELS, developers Steve Luker and Dirk McCormick have partnered with local organizations and the city of Springfield to create Scheels Sports Park, part of a 276-acre mixed-use development located off MacArthur Boulevard near the I-72 interchange. One of their innovative partnerships is with tenant Springfield Clinic, which has constructed a facility on site to offer rehab and performance enhancement, along with sports training, nutrition monitoring and mental-health conditioning.
But the shining star of the more than 50-acre sports complex is the Springfield Clinic Dome, a nearly 200,000-square foot, blimp-shaped orb designed by ASATI, a New York company which provides custom turnkey inflatable structures, delivered throughout the country to be finished on site with local labor, according to general manager Brandon Dougherty.
Truly an engineering marvel, the region’s first air-supported dome is the world’s largest constructed to date. Three independent air handlers, each with a weather station, monitor structural factors by calculating exterior temperature and wind speed to control air pressure and volume. Each unit has its own power supply, backup generator and gas supply to ensure redundancy so that if one goes down the dome won’t collapse. Also, a protective steel cable “hairnet” supports the exterior.
At roughly 275 feet across by 715 feet long and 100 feet high, the dome can be configured as six basketball courts or 12 volleyball courts, sporting a full-synthetic field that can be either two NCAA softball fields, or full-size football or soccer fields. It’s actually a balloon tied down to a big concrete and rubber sport court with vast areas of green turf for any field sport imaginable. The massive all-weather space is lit with LED-reverse pendant lights and coupled with batting cages, public viewing areas, a food court and retail areas, creating a variety of possibilities.
Additionally, the complex includes an outdoor venue called The Yard which is 25,000 square feet of ADA grass allowing for Special Olympics and other recreational activities. Dougherty explained the concept of this park is about building in diversification so that an array of programs can be offered and people can travel to Springfield for a good experience.
The grand opening for SCHEELS Sports Park at Legacy Pointe is planned for May 2026, although a soft opening was held Dec. 12 in conjunction with the Midwest Open Indoor Archery Tournament.
The sports complex already has more than 100 signed contracts for events planned for 2026 through 2028, ranging from basketball, volleyball and football to a 14-field baseball tournament.
“A million visitors are expected each year, with a roughly 15% growth annually moving forward over the first three years. We’re looking at $13 million in hotel dollars and a total of $60 million in economic impact throughout the community and region,” Dougherty said.
RENDERING COURTESY SANGAMON COUNTY
MacArthur Boulevard extension
Sangamon County is working on an extension of MacArthur Boulevard from its current terminus at Knights Recreation Drive, along with a concurrent road-improvement project south of Woodside Road and Iron Bridge Road. Within 12-15 months, the project will tie the MacArthur Boulevard extension into Iron Bridge Road and relocate the existing intersection from the east side to the west side of the railroad tracks, taking traffic to a railroad overpass as it continues south.
According to Sangamon County engineer Brian Davis, the MacArthur extension is a $6.7 million project with $4.8 million in federal dollars and $1.9 million in Sangamon County funds. As part of the Woodside Road project, an underpass will be built to take east-west traffic under the railroad. Just south of the intersection, the realigned Iron Bridge Road will travel north-south over the railroad.
To the south of Woodside Road, properties in the 5600 to 5800 blocks of Iron Bridge Road will be accessed by a new segment and the addresses will be designated as Ironside Drive. The addresses on the new segment north of Woodside Road will be designated as South MacArthur Boulevard.
“In other words, if you’re driving straight south, it wouldn’t make sense that all of a sudden the road name changes and there’s no access from a house on Iron Bridge Road to a house that will have an Ironside Drive address,” Davis said.
Those who use the Interurban Trail, a component of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Rails to Trails program, will also benefit as the bridge will take bikers and walkers safely over Woodside Road on new pavement and through a dedicated tunnel that goes under the overpass. Continuing south, bikes and trains will travel the same route on new bridges situated parallel to the other.
Those who travel further south toward Chatham may be familiar with the picturesque scenery where trains, bikers and hikers cross over Lake Springfield parallel to an old interurban railroad bridge replete with a new wooden deck and railings. Natural habitat restorations with native plants dotting the entire route and a newly paved parking area will enhance trail users’ experience.
On Springfield’s far west side, the Sangamon Valley Trail continues north from Centennial Park and was recently extended beyond Irwin Bridge Road in Cantrall, a couple miles into Menard County. According to Davis, the county has just finished a planning study for a future addition that will add six miles south of the Centennial Park terminus.
More than 25 years ago the federal government made funding available to support an overarching Rails to Trails concept converting old railway lines into multiuse trails. Each state coordinates these conversion projects and gathers necessary funding. In response, Illinois established the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program with an eye toward benefiting community health.
With fluctuating federal funding, “There may not be as much money available going forward, but I would be surprised if the state of Illinois doesn’t still continue to provide grants,” Davis said.
Isringhausen’s Porsche dealership
Isringhausen Imports of Illinois worked with Evan Lloyd Architects to intentionally design its new Porsche showroom and service facility to not only catch the eye of passing motorists on Second Street, but to honor the adaptive-reuse philosophy of blending old and new, according to Corey Libka, director of operations.
As is standard in the automotive-sales industry, the Porsche brand offers “facility compliance guidance” that dictates the signage, style and graphics, interior colors and furnishings to carry out the brand’s vision for customer experience. Porsche’s “Generation 5” facility requirement led Isringhausen to build a dedicated, standalone facility on its sprawling campus which borders Washington Street on the south, Madison Street on the north, Third Street on the east and First Street on the west, playing a prominent role in downtown Springfield.
While many elements of the new construction were directed by Porsche, creative license remained for history to be salvaged. The design then evolved to incorporate the brick warehouse at the corner of Jefferson and Second streets, built in 1904, that once housed a lumber yard and Butternut factory. A mural depicting classic-car culture and lighted displays will add the final touches to the south face of the century-old building.
Historic preservation and adaptive reuse have become an inspiration and intentional component of the Isringhausen brand. After more than 40 years of renovating and upgrading the collection of buildings that make up Isringhausen Imports and luxury Porsche, BMW, Volvo and Mercedes Benz dealerships there still remains many a cultural-history lesson. Libka explained that below the Volvo facility are remnants of what look like chutes from the building’s former use as a chicken hatchery.
The front of the modern Porsche space will have floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing natural light to highlight the eras of classic Porsche models and vintage equipment highly valued in the world of collectors and auto restorationists. The museum-like experience is further enhanced by a video wall where continuous images of Porsche racing and brand lifestyle are highlighted. Comfortable seating pods allow buyers to relax while selecting their preferred models and custom features right down to thread color used to stitch together choice leather. It’s about making a Porsche a unique expression of themselves.
In addition to participation in and support of Porsche factory and club-road racing, the company also plays a significant role in community philanthropy with its Isringhausen DRIVE Grants for start-up businesses who want to locate downtown.
“Downtown is part of our fabric. This is where we have planted the flag. It would be easy to build a building out on the west side. It is difficult to renovate historic buildings and make it work, but we believe in putting our money where our mouth is and investing in a thriving downtown,” Libka said.
Catherine O’Connor has held administrative, communications, education and advocacy roles in state government, regional and national organizations. Her work focuses on exploring social and cultural context, making our history and environment more accessible and relevant through storytelling.
This article appears in January SBJ 2026.