From Graduate to Game-Changer: Alumnus Designs Sports Complex

Going to Lake Land just made sense for me. I got a strong education for a lot less money, and it gave me some buffer time to decide what architecture program I wanted to transfer to.

Having played sports throughout his childhood, Colton Davis knows that the key to a great gameday experience lies in the venue. During a lengthy ballgame or a weekend-long tournament, it’s the smallest details, such as the snacks at the concession stands, the quality of the seating or even the nearby entertainment options for little siblings, that often make or break the experience for players and their families. So, when it was decided in 2023 that Mattoon would become home to the Emerald Acres Sports Complex, a state-of-the-art, 150-acre facility, it was clear that homegrown architectural talent Colton Davis was the perfect fit for the job.

“I spent my childhood and high school years playing in all kinds of different facilities, so I know what separates a good one from a bad one,” Colton said. “I’ve got some inside knowledge about how a player uses a facility, and I could pull from that experience to help design this complex.”

Growing up in Mattoon, when Colton wasn’t playing baseball, he enjoyed drawing, painting or completing other art projects. He was also exposed early on to the world of construction from multiple family members who worked as contractors and carpenters. By Colton’s senior year at Mattoon High School, he had already decided to combine the two interests and study architecture.

Colton decided to begin his college journey locally by attending Lake Land. There, he completed his general education courses to lay the foundation for his architectural studies. He transferred to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale to earn both a Bachelors of Architecture and a Masters of Architecture degree.

“Going to Lake Land just made sense for me. I got a strong education for a lot less money, and it gave me some buffer time to decide what architecture program I wanted to transfer to,” Colton said. “It also let me practice being independent while still receiving personal support. When you’re sitting in a class of 200 students at a university, you realize how good it is to be in a class of 25 and get much more personal attention at Lake Land.”

In 2015, Colton moved back to Mattoon and began working with the Effingham-based architecture firm, Utz & Associates Architects. There, he has spent years designing various facilities throughout Central Illinois. Then in 2023, when the plans for Emerald Acres were first set in motion, Colton finally had the chance to design a project in his hometown of Mattoon.

“There was a lot of pressure with this one,” Colton said. “Being an athlete myself growing up, I knew what was at stake with this project and what these kids could have if it all turned out as planned.”

The first phase of Emerald Acres, a 140,000-squarefoot facility, officially opened in February 2025. Inside, the state-of-the-art gym offers eight full-sized baseball courts that can be divided into 16 volleyball courts. The rest of the building includes a courtside café, locker rooms, an attached Sarah Bush Lincoln Walk-In Clinic and even an arcade. Already, the field house is packed almost every weekend for youth tournaments, birthday parties and other events.

Work on Emerald Acres is still ongoing, and by summer 2026, the fully completed facility will span 150 acres, with four outdoor baseball and softball diamonds as well as eight soccer fields. Equally remarkable is the surrounding economic growth the project has prompted, with numerous brand-new retail shopping centers and restaurants opening near the Emerald Acres facility.

“If you had asked people 10 years ago if something like this would ever be possible in the area, most would have said ‘no’,” Colton said. “But this has shown that we can support thousands of visitors every weekend and more. It’s shown that there’s a lot of good possibilities here, and that Mattoon is worth investing in.”