Springfield Clinic’s name and logo will appear on the inflated dome of a 190,000-square-foot structure for indoor practices and competitions at Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe.
That name recognition for the clinic, one of the largest multispecialty medical groups in Illinois, is just one part of its involvement as the park’s official Health and Performance Partner, according to Cal Thomas, the clinic’s chief development officer.
Outside the park but still in the Legacy Pointe development, the clinic plans to build a walk-in clinic where patients will be able to receive services ranging from urgent and primary care to specialty care.
That clinic will cater to area residents as well as young athletes and their families who may be visiting Springfield for a tournament, Thomas said.
The park, which is being constructed through a public-private partnership and expected to be completed by the end of 2025, could become a place where the clinic provides a central location where already-existing strength, conditioning and speed-enhancement businesses can offer services, Thomas said. The clinic, an 80-year-old, for-profit entity, is reaching out to those businesses to collaborate, he said.
“Instead of replicating what’s (already) here, we want to be that central force that pulls all of those together and develops a true, integrated program that’s offered here on this complex,” Thomas said.
He said he didn’t have specific estimates for the cost of the new buildings and for exercise and calisthenics stations that will be placed throughout the park.
He declined to say what the clinic will pay for naming rights that allow the clinic’s brand to be placed on the dome. Park organizers said the dome, also known as an air structure, will be the largest of its kind in the world for youth sports and will be held up with air pressure and not columns.
Thomas said he did research on other partnerships between medical providers and youth sports complexes in Illinois and other parts of the country, but he found none quite like this.
“We’re deeply committed to redefining the future of health care in our communities, so our support for this project goes beyond dollars and cents,” Thomas said. “We see it as an opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind destination for performance and wellness that this region has never seen.”
Ryan McCrady, chief executive officer of Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, said: “This investment by Springfield Clinic is a game-changing development for this project. It’s a shining example of the strong sense of community that Springfield has always had, and I hope it encourages other homegrown organizations and businesses to get behind this effort that we will all benefit from.”
