It looks like DeKalb is trying to become a boom town by adding new upscale apartments and hotels.
First, the Cornerstone apartment project was built with 50 upscale apartments and now another new downtown upscale apartment project is scheduled for Lincoln and 2nd street. The City of DeKalb has received a request for proposal to seek TIF money from John Pappas and the Heartland Real Estate Corporation for a proposed mixed-use building on the property currently called the Mooney Building (pictured above, at 4th Street and Locust 
Street, across from Melin’s Lock & Key). The plans call for two buildings, with both having ground-level retail space with upscale apartments above.
Another project, that is currently on hold, is the old hospital building (across from the Ellwood House & Museum) that is the site of a proposed boutique hotel whose developers have requested TIF funds.
Ground breaking will happen soon, however, for the new Home2 Suites extended stay hotel on South Annie Glidden, which will provide an additional welcome to people visiting NIU and DeKalb. This will be near the Hampton Inn (a Hilton property) that opened several years ago.
Keeping with the trend, the Baymont Hotel & Suites on West Lincoln Highway (next to Fatty’s Pub) has been sold and is being remodeled to become a Comfort Inn & Suites (A Choice Hotel product) by early summer 2019. According to the new owner and management team they are excited to bring this new brand to DeKalb.
If all these projects happen, then DeKalb can become more of a tourist town with plenty of space for visitors.
Note: You can see more details about some of these projects in the agenda for Friday’s DeKalb City Council Meeting (see attachment below).
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65 Comments
No offense to NIU students what so ever … but they donât pay the taxes in this city we do. Good tax paying citizens are leaving because this city is taxing them right out of their homes… and for what! more flipping unneeded apartments, most of which the students couldnât afford anyways!
Some students can, some students can’t.
Not all of them are marketed towards your typical college kids anyway.
People renting don’t directly pay taxes, but the people that own their properties do.
Mike Hammett correct me if Iâm wrong but those particular landlords also got tax breaks to build those apartment buildings!
Lana Cristallo some buildings did, some buildings didn’t. I don’t believe there would be any tax breaks to any of the existing apartment footprint.
I don’t know that there would be anytax breaks for the new Pappas buildings, given that they’re being partially paid for by tax funds. I could be wrong on the Pappas buildings.
Mike Hammett plain and simple we do not need anymore high rise apartments in downtown let alone a bed and breakfast hotel in the middle of a residential area… just my opinion of course!
Lana Cristallo I disagree on all of those points, but I think you knew that. 😉
we agree to disagree Mike lol
who’s going to rent them?
Thought that building would make a great brewery and market
Robert Morris would make a great Antique and Vintage Mall.
It’s the jrb , joint review board not city council, and 145 fisk hotel project is dead and looks like tif $ is going to Pappas
We have lost 8 thousand students in 10 years. This is why our downtown and city is failing. How do we use our resources to entice students to come here and professors to live here?
So we should fight poverty with our resources…..good start.
Adam Anderson FYI DeKalb has LESS crime then almost all of the other University cities in Illinois.
Adam Anderson Yes perception isnât the same as actual statistics. The only way to change the narrative is with statistics.
Joel Christopher 14k students lost
Jim Mitchell I am pretty sure I am right. I donât have time to check.
Clean up the village and manor areas. Stop allowing the lowlifes to live there. Make it safe in those areas like it was 20 years ago. That would be a great start to bringing more people into niu.
And bring back real jobs.. a retail mecca is not the way. Income is down in DeKalb and is it not funny that crime goes up as income falls? Wages, property taxes and crime, Oh! My!…
Joel Christopher I think your #s are low. The point is we are down a shit load
Joel Christopher well that just sucks
I think DeKalb needs to forget about rebuilding itself for the students and NIU. They need to reboot themselves for the city itself. The rest will all fall into place. DeKalb is not all about NIU. Take care of the city and its people first and the rest will follow. I remember how DeKalb use to be.
The crime started as a result of the drop in students. The apartments were filled with non-students.
Adam Anderson Do you follow Bloomington-Normal, Champaign-Urbana, Carbondale news sources?
Sue McMillan The city is dead without the university. We need to focus on how to make the university more attractive.
Mike Hammett I totally disagaree
I believe it is time to define ‘luxury’ and ‘upscale’ apartments in DeKalb . What exactly does an upscale apartment look like? Does a one bedroom ‘luxury’ apartment have room for a bed, a nightstand AND a dresser in the bedroom? Or is the bedroom so small that the dresser must be placed in the living room for the TV to set on? Describe the number and size of closets available for clothing and storage IN the apartment. It appears to me that at least one developer seems to believe that slightly more than indoor plumbing qualifies as ‘luxury’. Further, given that it is apparent that the population of ‘young professionals’ (another term used by a TIF recipient/developer) is dropping, just who is going to rent these ‘upscale’ apartments? And, looking forward (let’s try that for a change) what happens if/when these apartments are not rented? Do they sit empty? Do they become Section 8 housing? Are the structures razed? What happens to the TAXPAYERS’ investment? The JRB and the City of DeKalb had best begin asking some serious questions.
How is the dropping “young professionals” market apparent?
Mike Hammett For starters why would young professionals move to DeKalb? For what jobs? It is clear fewer faculty live in DeKalb. All you have to do is look around you.
So no evidence at all for your claims?
Isn’t the completed new building targeted towards this market nearly full?
A better approach than disparaging your city is to ask why wouldn’t they… and then solve those things.
Mike Hammett Is it nearly full?
It has been reported in the past week there are three vacancies.
Why when the city is handing out like tick tacks
TOO MANY yrs the city has spent wasted money building up NIU and around NIU leaving the east and south sides to struggle and deteriorate. Mayors have destroyed family facilities as in : 2 roller rinks, drive-in theater, mini-golf and a family entertainment center (forgot the name but it was always packed when we went). ALL this torn down for mini malls that STILL mostly remain empty..FOR ONCE can the city help the residents instead of trying to play off of NIU. the city needs to be self reliant and stop solely relying on NIU. build up the east/south side. NOT everyone wants to live downtown or around NIU specially with all the violent crime that continues to happen in those areas.
The city is dead without NIU. That’s a cold, hard fact.
Where were all of these supposed places torn down to be replaced by supposedly empty mini-malls?
Mike Hammett syc Rd.
And the city needs to have back up resources instead of solely relying on niu
Garbage over priced rentals
Justin you will have to wait until someone finds vacant land downtown to do that. Otherwise new construction makes no sense without funding to cover demo and removal of existing structures. There is a reason why every city in America incorporates TIF funding for projects such as these or would if they had interested developers.
You and Mark C. do a great job misrepresenting TIF and generating hostility toward local developers/politicians.
David Bell we’ve already discussed that not every city and not every state uses TIF. Free money isn’t the way to create a better business climate. It’s desperation.
The vast majority do and once again you enjoy mischaracterizing over simplifying TIF. In Illinois alone there are 250 cities using TIF with well over 1300 TIF districts. Yet DeKalb leads all municipalities with TIF fearmongers misinforming the local community.
David Bell we need to get our property taxes under control. 4.2%, approximately twice the state average and 4X the national average is unacceptable.
Justin Heuer that wonât ever happen if the city proves hostile to developers.
#TRUTHHURTS David Bell.
TIF takes away funding from police, fire, and most importantly YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
David Bell Where do you come up with this “hostile nonsense”?Develops are welcome, BUT with their OWN dollars.
More fear mongering and misinformation by Mark.
Alex Jones has nothing on you (except a bigger audience and actual followers).
Again Mark shows no knowledge about development and banking.
David Bell Has hit the nail on the head.
Mike Hammett I’d call it a swing and a miss.
Justin Heuer I’m sorry you feel that way?
Maybe Pappas should fill his already existing buildings!!!
Kelly Green Turner what is the vacancy rate?
Mike Hammett would love to know
I believe he only has 3 units left in Cornerstone.
Melissa Gorbet Butts so he says.
Jim Mitchell Do you have evidence to the contrary?
Downtown is “booming” because of free money from taxpayers. I’ll be impressed when someone builds something without free money.
Downtown DeKalb is booming?
Patti Thompson Perkins “booming” yes.
Justin Heuer I did! Please check out Fargo Skateboarding ð
Ariel Ries lol
Ariel Ries well done!
Justin Heuer That’ll be once the TIF-funded developments actually turn downtown around.
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Why can’t I get some of this free money??? $2000/mo to rent business space in DeKalb vs $1000/mo in the 5-6000 N blocks of Chicago. And then if you need a job to get by on in this town while you start your business…you’ll be bankrupt before you can even open the doors.