Chicago-based brewer eyes old House Cafe building in downtown DeKalb

DeKALB – Chicago-based Alulu Brewery is eyeing the downtown building at 263 E. Lincoln Highway to bring in another brewery and musical venue, and could seek tax increment financing money to do so.

Fareed Haque, owner of the building where restaurant and performance venue The House Cafe operated before it was shuttered in April, and Paul Heintz, principal of Alulu Brewery and Pub of Chicago, will present their concept plans to the DeKalb City Council at its Committee of the Whole meeting, set for 5 p.m. Monday at the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 S. Fourth St.

The project is estimated to cost
$1.8 million, and developers have expressed interest in seeking a $770,000 TIF incentive agreement, city documents show. City staff notified the pair that the city has already distributed all available TIF 1 funds for the year, so any additional incentives would not be available until 2020, from TIF 1 funds ported to TIF 3.

According to city documents, Haque and Heintz have been in negotiations since November and approached the city in March with an idea to convert the basement and first floor area of what is known as the Smith building into a brewpub. The concept could also include a rooftop patio and serving area. The second floor of the building would remain as is for residential purposes, and it currently houses a number of apartments, documents show.

The duo said having three breweries close to one another in downtown DeKalb would make the city a tourist destination for craft beer lovers. The Forge Brewhouse is at 216 N. Sixth St., and Byers Brewery, 230 E. Lincoln Highway, is set to open in August.

Alulu Brewery, 2011 S. Laflin St. in Chicago, opened March 2017 and brews small-batch beers and spirits and offers a restaurant and musical venue in the city, according to documents.

If the council gives a positive consensus of the plan during the Committee of the Whole meeting, developers can move forward with a preliminary incentive agreement, which could be voted on by council at a later date in one of its regular meetings.