The ongoing expansion project for the Elgin Sports Complex includes the addition of three athletic fields with lights, a new playground, three additional parking areas, walking trails around the new site, restroom facilities, a new concession building and plaza, shade pavilion and a bike path. In addition to these new amenities, Sports Way will be extended to provide access to Route 31, making the Sports Complex accessible from both the east and west sides of the park as well as more accessible to Elgin’s downtown.

The Elgin Sports Complex occupies land that was once part of the Elgin Mental Health Center, a state-operated facility whose mission evolved over the years to include treatment for mental illness, tuberculosis, and care for veterans. After World War II, the hospital grounds—including a patient-run farm—expanded to 1,139 acres, with the patient population peaking at 7,700 in the mid-1950s. From 1993 to 2008, many of the older, long-abandoned buildings were demolished due to disrepair.

In 2013, the City of Elgin purchased a portion of the property to expand the Elgin Sports Complex, originally developed in 1981. Today, the complex features ten lighted softball diamonds, ten soccer fields (four with lights), a BMX track, two sand volleyball courts, and the Highlands Golf Course. It hosts local, state, and regional tournaments, as well as youth and adult recreational programs from March through November.