City of DeKalb solicits buyers of 200 South Fourth St., former city hall

DeKALB - The City of DeKalb is seeking a buyer for its former city hall, the DeKalb Municipal Building at 200 S. Fourth St., with the hope to have the building bought and demolished within a year.

City offices officially moved to their new location downtown, the new city hall at 164 E. Lincoln Highway June 5.

City Manager Bill Nicklas said though several have expressed interest in the building, no one has made any concrete commitments yet. The city is soliciting request for proposals due by 5 p.m. July 20.

"I purposefully left it open to attract the widest and most creative proposals," Nicklas said of the RFP. "We've asked any interested parties to respond by July 20, then I'll take it to the next council meeting. We want to be able to sell the property this year certainly and in the near term and see something."

City hall is not being marketed as a packaged property as formerly discussed by the council, though the city owns the entire block, from Grove Street to the north, South Fifth Street to the east, Franklin Street to the south and South Fourth Street to the west. The building was built in 1967 at the corner of Grove Street and Fourth Street is three floors, around 12,000-square-feet per floor, according to a news release.

The municipal building lies within a tax increment finance district known as TIF 3, and developers are being asked to consider the purchase and redevelopment of the site for the purpose of returning the 2.5 acres to the city's tax rolls, the release states.

City officials will show particular interest to proposals which includes demolishing the existing structure to create something new.

Those interested should submit RFPs addressed to Nicklas at city hall 164 E. Lincoln Highway, or call 815-748-2391 for more information.