Steve Martin didn’t actually hear a voice telling him to build a field in Gorham, but he did have a vision of constructing a place that local athletes could play.

The result is the Gorham Sports Center, Martin’s own field of dreams. The facility, located off Narragansett Street, houses a large indoor space with artificial turf that is used year-round for sports leagues and team practices.

Martin recently purchased a 25-acre parcel that abuts part of the 17 acres that the GSC sits on, and he hopes to add outdoor fields to compliment the indoor one.

The whole project has “grown into something much bigger than I expected,” says Martin, and he notes that he will have to find public or private partners if further development is going to be feasible.

The indoor facility, which opened in March of 2004, is steel-framed and has a cover made of polyvinyl chloride – PVC, like that used in plastic pipes. The field is 165 by 240 feet and is covered with a rubber surface called Sprinturf.

Though the turf is marked for soccer, the field gets used for other activities as well: lacrosse, rugby, field hockey, baseball and football. The athletes range from children to high school students to adults on semi-pro teams. There’s also a summer camp for 2 to 5 year olds.

Andy Pease, who assists with the management and marketing of the GSC, says that though the operation is listed as for-profit, Martin’s goal is to provide a venue that can be utilized by as many people as possible.

“Anyone who knows Steve Martin knows his heart,” Pease says, “and this place is about giving people the opportunity to play and practice.”

Martin, a surveyor and father of three, is working on a master plan for the property. The indoor field may be extended to the dimensions of a full-length soccer field, or batting cages and a golf-ball driving range may be added. There may eventually be a half-dozen fields, and the GSC could host events like soccer tournaments.

Though it’s not a cornfield in Iowa, one man’s vision has created a place for others to play in Gorham.

“It’s really a dream to do this,” says Martin.