CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A first-of-its-kind sports and community center is the latest addition to Chicago's North Austin neighborhood.
What once was a vacant 10- acre lot is now home to a 150,000 square foot sports and wellness center.
The new North Austin Center is home to classrooms, an auditorium, two full sized basketball courts, and the Chicago Fire FC Field, the city's largest indoor turf field.
The facility also houses the Jason Heyward Baseball academy-something the former Cubs outfielder said he knew he wanted to be a a part of from the beginning.
"It's awesome to know what it stands for-to be a partner in this space."
The campus will also be home to BY The Hand Club For kids after school program. The giant complex was built in only 18 months.
Heyward is happy to leave a lifetime legacy in the neighborhood.
"We'lll forever have family here and to have an opportunity to make it better-to me, that's just great and I've seen you know how the West Side- west loop has grown in the last seven years I've been here," he said.
"We've had this in place before the rest of the things I guess kind of make make their way out this way is nice to be a staple."
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