Work has commenced on the massive development project at the iconic Field of Dreams property in Dyersville, IA. The property is owned by Go the Distance Baseball, and the project, known as "Project Heaven," officially broke ground on Wednesday, September 28th.

In April, the blueprint for the project was made public. It revealed a lofty expansion to the beloved movie site, which included nine new fields, a 104-room hotel, an amphitheater capable of hosting outdoor concerts, a massive, 100,000-square-foot fieldhouse fit for youth sports, an RV park, jogging trails through the cornfields, and more.

Also part of the plan is permanent, 3,000-seat MLB stadium adjacent to the original field. Having an existing field will make a substantial difference in the time it takes to get the site ready for the "MLB at Field of Dreams" game, which seems like it'll be an annual occurrence after two overwhelmingly successful games.

Go the Distance Baseball COO Dan Evans stressed that none of the work being done for "Project Heaven" will impact the iconic field nor movie site, per the Telegraph Herald. There's a solid 70 to 85 acres of land that separates the famous ballfield from the construction of the aforementioned sports complex.
Evans added that the goal for the project's completion is 2025. The additional ballfields are the top priority at this time, for the plan is to have teams playing on them by summer 2023. Two grass fields and seven synthetic turf fields will be accessible via a to-be-developed road off of Dyersville East Road.
The other goal is making sure the spirit and magic of the original field stays in tact, despite the added glitz, glamor, and amenities.
Photo Credit: Stacy Revere, Getty Images.
Photo Credit: Stacy Revere, Getty Images.
loading...

The groundbreaking on the Field of Dreams project has been fast-moving ever since a new leadership group took over Go the Distance Baseball. A year ago this week, This is Heaven LLC, a venture led by Frank Thomas, purchased all the interest in the company. Plans for expanding the Field of Dreams movie site go back a decade, but they fell through due to one circumstance or another.

It was also Thomas who had the "mic drop" line summarizing the entire project:
We're building it, so people will come.
The Field of Dreams movie site is located at 28995 Lansing Road in Dyersville.

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in Iowa

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Iowa using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

More From AM 1490 WDBQ