CHICAGO — Former Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward attended a ribbon cutting Thursday for the North Austin Center, a 10-acre campus for education, sports and wellness on Chicago’s West Side.
The Jason Heyward Baseball Academy has a major league sized infield and will provide sports training and leadership development programs for players of all ages and skill levels.
The $35 million dollar facility, which was announced in 2021, is a first-of-its-kind professional-level facility featuring Chicago’s largest indoor turf field — Chicago Fire FC Field. In addition to the indoor field, the 150,000-square foot space houses classrooms, an auditorium and two full size basketball courts. The goal of the year-round facility is to close the opportunity gap that persists in youth sports.
