Hamilton County, situated just north of Indianapolis, has been home to a sports megaplex for the past decade that fundamentally changed not only a tiny rural town but also a cultural mindset in the region.
Our family was living in the area when the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana, was in its infancy stages with developers. The locals called it a Field of Dreams. If you build it, they will come. Who would come? Travel sports families. And these families would bring all of their needs with them. Shops, restaurants, microbreweries, cafes, hotels, doctors, and hospitals. Just imagine what an economic boon it would be for the region!
Developers and city planners put all the positive spin they could muster into this great achievement. Many were skeptical. Some were hopeful.
Our local pastor, however, felt a sense of impending doom. He knew that travel…
