Tourists from around the world have been visiting the Field of Dreams movie site in my hometown Dyersville, Iowa, since the movie was filmed in 1989. Now people will be visiting for reasons other than to see the original movie site.

The 193-acre Field of Dreams movie site was recently purchased by Go the Distance Baseball, LLC for $3.4 million. It was big news for Dyersville, home of 4,000 residents and a rich baseball tradition, especially after investors indicated their intention to develop a youth baseball complex around the movie site. Because of its potential impact on the small-town environment, infrastructure, way of life and economy, the project has been divisive and controversial.

After an intensely contested approval process, construction for the $38 million project will begin this spring. The complex will be named All-Star Ballpark Heaven and will include 24 baseball diamonds, lodging for players, an indoor training facility, a restaurant and a community center. The outdoor complex will host national and local youth baseball tournaments.

The state and local government will play a role in helping the development. Gov. Terry Branstad signed a bill that will give Go the Distance a $16.5 million state sales tax rebate over the first 10 years of operation. In addition, Dyersville will pay the group a total of $5.1 million spread over the next 15 years, financed by property taxes related to the project. I believe this is worth it, as developers estimate the complex will bring $47 million annually to the local economy. Families and tourists from across the country will purchase from local businesses and drive job growth while visiting, especially at hotels and restaurants. The Field of Dreams movie site, which had previously been a standalone tourist site, will now be a multi-dimensional asset for Iowa.