Emerald Acres opens to the public

MATTOON — The long-awaited Emerald Acres officially opened Thursday, Feb. 6, according to a social media post from the developer, Cleveland-based Goodman Real Estate.

The nearly $100 million project has been approximately two years in the making. The sports complex will feature eight outdoor baseball and softball fields and eight soccer fields that are currently being constructed.

The nearly 140,000-square-foot field house features 16 volleyball courts and eight basketball courts. Inside the field house also features a cafeteria and an arcade. The grand opening ceremony was held in December but opened to the public this past week. The development aims to host both professional and amateur sporting events, particularly aimed at the youth sports industry, as well as adult leagues.

In front of the sports complex sits a new shopping center that is mostly finished with construction. The new development features retailers such as Beall’s, Bath and Body Works, and Five Below. A portion of the property remains undeveloped due to the planned anchor tenant, Kohl’s, withdrawing from the project.

A free-standing Chick-fil-A restaurant opened in October, followed by Sport Clips and Chipotle in November and December. The Chipotle restaurant features a drive-thru as well as dine-in seating. Next door will be a free-standing Panda Express restaurant that is set to open this spring and will also feature a drive-thru. The development also recently announced a Texas Roadhouse restaurant that will face Interstate 57 on the east side of the property. Construction is expected to begin in the spring.

In addition to the stores and restaurants, two new hotels will also be opening. A Fairfield Inn is currently under construction on the western side of the development that will open this summer, according to a social media post by Horve Construction. A Hampton Inn is also planned for development and will open later this year.

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Jacob Hamm

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I am a college senior at Eastern Illinois University. I cover a wide variety of topics across Central Illinois such as protests, artistic and cultural events, local economic development, and the occasional column.

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