Field of Dreams Ponderay, Idaho

Photo courtesy of the City of Ponderay

A community vision coming to life

By Taylor Shillam

Located at 100 Oneida Drive in Ponderay, Idaho, the Field of Dreams Recreation Complex is a 50-acre facility created from a vision decades in the making. A dream that began over 30 years ago has become a reality for Bonner County, introducing a beautiful new space for all ages to play, grow, and engage with their community. 

Introduced as a phased project supported by Ponderay’s 1% Local Option Tax, the Field of Dreams is a multi-phase sports and recreation project designed to accommodate flexible spaces for community recreation. These include sports courts for pickleball, tennis, baseball and basketball, plus batting cages and bullpens. Once complete, the facility will include a pavilion, picnic plazas, a playground, and space for food truck parking, along with restrooms, concession stands, and more. 

The first phase, completed in August of 2024, revealed multiple fully lit artificial turf sports fields designed to accommodate a variety of sports for all ages, plus a completed restroom and concessions facility.   

According to findings by the city of Ponderay, the vision for the Field of Dreams Recreation complex dates back to 1993, when two members of the Sandpoint Soccer Association, Floyd McGhee and Mike Read, shared their vision for a regional sports complex in Ponderay. Their vision for the McGhee Sports Complex turned into the project that we now call the Field of Dreams. 

In 1994, the North Idaho/Ponderay Youth Sports Association formed as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization to create the sports complex McGhee and Read envisioned, establishing the "Field of Dreams" on donated farmland in 1995, which hosted its first event that June. 

Despite initial success, development costs and a lack of irrigation led to difficulties moving the project forward. In 2011, Ponderay acquired the property, and after years of planning and funding efforts, including a local option tax passed in 2019, Phase 1 of the Field of Dreams development began construction in 2023.

The next phases of the project will introduce more of the Field of Dreams' facilities and recreational offerings, including plans for a playground, tennis courts, baseball field, sand volleyball fields, multi-use trails, and more. A third phase has the potential to expand further on the property’s picnic areas, field house and event center; it is also expected to introduce exciting features such as an indoor pool plus an ice skating rink.

The possibilities for community fun, athletics and engagement with the Field of Dreams are endless, thanks to the support of community members working together toward a shared vision. 

The decades-long vision of Ponderay residents is becoming realized, and the results are said to be better than imagined. An investment in the quality of life for the youth and families of the area, the Field of Dreams offers something priceless: a safe place for kids to gather and play, along with a dedicated space for families to enjoy their time together. 

The Field of Dreams is aptly named, representing local visionaries' dreams coming to life to benefit the entire community. Follow along at CityofPonderay.org/field-of-dreams with the City of Ponderay as more of the Field of Dreams project comes to life! 

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