The sun was shining down on what Michigan state representative Fred Upton called “a field of dreams” as he was given a tour of the Edwardsburg Sports Complex Tuesday.

While on break from Capitol Hill Tuesday, Upton came to Cass County and visited several local haunts including the ESC. While at the ESC grounds, founding member Ed Patzer and Director Jennifer Mackling spoke to Upton about the history of the sports complex and their plans for the future, which include expansion and increased community involvement.

Upton’s visit to the ESC was part of a full day of meetings and events in which he participated in Cass County. On the same day, Upton had lunch with local party members and met with several Cass County law enforcement officials, including Sheriff Richard Behnke.

“This is my fourth or fifth stop today, and I’ve still got a bunch more,” Upton said.

Members of the ESC board were excited to be included on the congressman’s list of stops and are hopeful that the meeting will translate into a good working relationship with the congressman and the government in general.

“If we need something done, we might be able to get a hold of Fred and say ‘We are looking at this program, what can you do to help us?’” said Roseann Marchetti, ESC board member and Cass County commissioner. “You never know with a congressman, what kind of resources they have available.”

Events coordinator Patty Patzer added that she anticipated that the meeting would result in increased community awareness about the ESC, which is something that she feels would be beneficial to the complex.

Upton said he was excited to finally be able to tour the ESC grounds as he has passed them many times, but never had the chance to stop inside.

Upton said he was impressed by what he saw and learned during his tour of the ESC.

“It’s projects like these that make people want to live and work in Michigan, and Edwardsburg is a pretty small community for sure, but man do they have a lot of things going for them,” Upton said. “You can imagine. So many years ago, we all watched ‘Field of Dreams.’ This might be the next one. This is yet another draw to the area.”

More than just providing an asset for Edwardsburg, Upton said the sports complex is a draw for many nearby communities, even extending into Indiana.

“The complex is not just a gateway into Edwardsburg, it’s a gateway into Michigan,” Upton said. “It is yet another magnet, not just for jobs here in Michigan, but for a better way of life. You can’t beat this with a stick.”

Upton said he enjoyed his meeting with the ESC, though he acknowledged that, should they come to him for funding in the future, he may not be beneficial to them.

“Federal money is hard to come by. We are in a deficit,” Upton said. “But there may be some state funding. Who knows? There might be tax advantages that they may be able to get here.”

Despite this, Upton said he has high hopes for the ESC and Edwardsburg in general and can’t wait to see where they will end up.

“Now that they have made some investments, it’s only going to grow. It’s a dream that has a pretty good chance of coming true. It really is a field of dreams,” Upton said. “Who would have thought in a small town like Edwardsburg, with little more than a traffic light and a railroad crossing, that you would have a complex like this?”