City of Mattoon, IL Announces Partnership with Rural King For Sports Complex

For Immediate Release

(Mattoon, IL) October 11, 2022 – The City of Mattoon, IL and Rural King announce a multi-year development and marketing partnership today, connecting two organizations with common community, business, and economic development goals. The partnership is centered around the state-of-the-art sports complex currently under development at the intersection of Charleston Avenue East and I-57 South in Mattoon. The complex, dubbed Emerald Acres Sports Connection, will be presented by Rural King with the tagline “Cultivated by Rural King.” The $66 million indoor and outdoor sports complex will be a driver for approximately 580,000 visitors and generate more than $23.8 million in direct economic impact annually.

“Rural King has been the catalyst and an incredible partner for this project,” said City of Mattoon Mayor Rick Hall. “While we still have a few steps to go, their leadership and investment to date have made Emerald Acres possible. We are so proud to not only be home to their national headquarters but now, to be their partner in bringing sports and events to Mattoon-area families and thousands of visitors each year.”

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The City of Mattoon is one of a string of forward-thinking communities in Illinois tapping into the booming youth and amateur sports tourism industry, currently valued at $39.7 billion (SportsETA Annual Report). Emerald Acres will sit on a 150-acre site that will include a 150,000 square-foot indoor complex with eight basketball/16 volleyball courts, eight baseball/softball fields, 12 multi-purpose synthetic turf fields, and mixed-use components including hotels, quick service restaurants, gas stations, and big-box retail stores.

“We are so proud to be a partner to the community and the City of Mattoon. Since planting our roots in Mattoon in 1960 with our flagship store, we have considered this our hometown,” said Brock Ashley, Rural King Vice President of Business Development. “Our partnership with Emerald Acres demonstrates our commitment to the future of Mattoon from a health and wellbeing perspective, but also as an economic development engine. Bringing in these retail, hotel, and restaurant partners will be the connection to the next generation of an already thriving community.”

This is just one example of many of Rural King’s investments in local communities. Rural King operates America’s Farm and Home stores in 13 states through their 130+ locations and brings not only new jobs to their communities but direct financial investment. In 2020 Rural King invested $7 million into their distribution and manufacturing facility in Waverly, OH, to repurpose three vacant buildings – and again in 2020, the retailer invested $1 million to renovate an anchor-tenant spot in Maple Lane Mall of La Porte, IN and revitalize a struggling mall.

“For us, partnership doesn’t stop with developing a Rural King store. We’re taking a holistic look at a community and looking for win-wins,” said Blake Pierce, Director of Finance for Rural King. “The Emerald Acres project is a new model for us, but one that has been proven time and again. We are working with experts in this space to ensure this project delivers for Mattoon and surrounding communities.”

Emerald Acres Sports Connection, cultivated by Rural King, is scheduled to begin construction in March of 2023 with an anticipated opening weekend in early 2024. Currently, the project is accepting additional business and community partnerships. To learn more about becoming a partner, please visit emeraldacresbricks.com