Key Takeaways
- The Village of New Lenox opened the 100-acre Wintrust Crossroads Sports Complex in July 2025, featuring 42 total fields across baseball, softball, and soccer.
- The $70 million facility projects $12 million economic impact in year one, scaling to $30 million annually with 600,000 visitors when fully built out.
- A critical design change recommended by The Sports Facilities Companies increased soccer field capacity from 5 to 11 and improved operational efficiency.
- The complex serves a market gap with no comparable youth sports facility within 100 miles of the Chicago suburb.
- Revenue will fund a future 140,000 sq ft indoor fieldhouse, with 14 acres already designated for a 160-room hotel, restaurants, and retail.
Filling a Market Gap in Greater Chicago
The Village of New Lenox purchased 100 acres adjacent to Silver Cross Hospital for $8.2 million in Spring 2023, opting for sports tourism over industrial development. Mayor Tim Baldermann, who has led the village for 18 years, identified a significant gap in the Chicago area’s youth sports infrastructure.
“There isn’t a youth sports complex of this magnitude within 100 miles of New Lenox,” Baldermann stated in the case study.
The location offers strategic advantages for tournament organizers. The complex sits at the intersection of Interstate 355 and I-80, placing it within 45 minutes of Chicago and accessible to both O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport. The Chicago metro area has historically invested in professional sports facilities rather than youth sports infrastructure, creating an opening for communities willing to build tournament-grade venues.
New Lenox financed the $70 million project through bonds, with revenue from tournaments and on-site hospitality businesses earmarked to repay the debt and fund future expansion.
Facility Specifications and Development Timeline
Wintrust Crossroads Sports Complex opened in July 2025 with substantial field inventory:
- 9 full-sized turf baseball fields
- 22 youth baseball and softball fields
- 11 multipurpose turf rectangular fields
- 2 batting cages
- Beer garden and main concession area
- 2 auxiliary concession buildings
The Village engaged The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) in July 2023 to guide development and serve as the operational partner. SFC operates over 90 sports, recreation, and event complexes across the country. Scott Brost was hired as General Manager in October 2024.
Groundbreaking occurred in April 2024, moving from land acquisition to opening in just over two years.
The complex operates seasonally from mid-March through October due to Illinois weather. The planned 140,000 sq ft indoor fieldhouse will extend programming to year-round operations.
Strategic Design Adjustment Enhanced Field Capacity
During the development phase, SFC’s Development Services team identified a critical modification that significantly improved the venue’s operational capacity and revenue potential.
The original blueprints included a road running through the complex with multiple entry points. Jake Whittaker, Senior Vice President of Development Services at SFC, recommended simplifying to one main entry point.
“One point of entry is a more efficient layout,” Whittaker explained. “When you’re designing a sports complex like this, you have to consider the staffing costs, traffic flow, and guest safety first. While it may have felt like taking a step backwards in the design process to remove the road, ultimately it was worth it.”
The road adjustment delivered measurable improvements:
Operational benefits:
- Separated vehicular and pedestrian traffic
- Reduced staffing requirements for entry management
- Improved access to beer garden and retail areas
- Enhanced efficiency for food and beverage operations
- Better maintenance team access
Field capacity gains:
- Maximum soccer fields increased from 5 to 11
- High school-level baseball fields increased from 8 to 9
- Total youth baseball and softball fields reached 22
- More efficient lighting layouts reduced infrastructure costs
Whittaker noted the change “made the facility more marketable” to tournament organizers seeking venues that can host larger events.
Economic Impact Projections and Community Development
The Sports Facilities Companies conducted feasibility and economic impact studies projecting specific revenue milestones:
- Year 1: $12 million economic impact
- Year 3: $20 million economic impact
- Full buildout: $30 million+ annual economic impact
The complex expects to draw over 600,000 visitors annually from a multi-state region once all phases are complete.
The Village structured the development to minimize resident impact while maximizing visitor spending. The complex sits in the northwest corner of New Lenox, while most residents live on the south side, reducing traffic concerns. Local residents gain access to tournament-grade fields for weekday practices and games.
Fourteen acres within the project are dedicated to hospitality development. A 160-room dual-brand hotel is under construction, with the same hospitality company holding right of first refusal for a second hotel. Restaurant and retail partners are in development.
The Village purchased an additional 100 acres across from the complex and is selling outlots for retail, restaurants, entertainment, and housing developments. The property’s visibility at the I-355/Route 6 interchange positions it for commercial development driven by tournament traffic.
Sponsorship Portfolio and Market Positioning
Wintrust Financial Corporation secured naming rights as title sponsor. Additional partnerships include Pepsi, Beggar’s Pizza, Gas N Wash, Joey’s Red Hots, Phillips Chevrolet, Kozol Bros., Illinois Bone & Joint, Silver Cross Hospital, and Kona Ice.
The Village is investing in regional marketing, including advertising during WGN sports programming to reach tournament organizers and travel teams across the Midwest.
New Lenox has established itself as a family destination through existing attractions including a 36-foot illuminated Santa Claus display, KidsWork Children’s Museum (opened 2024), summer concert series, and community events. The sports complex builds on this positioning while targeting out-of-market visitors.
Silver Cross Hospital, which relocated from Joliet to New Lenox in 2012, currently generates 2.2 million annual visitors. Mayor Baldermann estimates the combined medical campus and sports complex will drive approximately 3 million annual visitors to the village.
Looking Ahead
The Wintrust Crossroads Sports Complex represents a calculated bet on sports tourism infrastructure in an underserved market. The facility’s design, refined through operator input during development, prioritizes both guest experience and operational efficiency.
The venue’s ability to scale field configurations between 5 and 11 full-sized soccer fields, or accommodate 22 youth baseball and softball diamonds, provides flexibility to attract different tournament formats and sports organizations. This adaptability will be tested as the complex moves through its first full seasons.
Success metrics will center on tournament bookings, hotel occupancy rates, and whether the projected economic impact materializes. The planned indoor facility remains contingent on outdoor complex revenue meeting bond repayment projections.
For communities evaluating similar projects, the New Lenox case study offers specific data points on design decisions that impacted field capacity, the value of operator partnerships during development, and the importance of location advantages in attracting regional tournaments.
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