NIU, DeKalb County Community Gardens propose redevelopments for long-vacant, city-owned north side lots

DeKALB – DeKalb city leaders could be on their way to reimagining life in the Annie Glidden North Neighborhood on the city’s north side.

Two proposals for city-owned vacant land at the northwest corner of Hillcrest Drive and Blackhawk Road have been put forward by Northern Illinois University and DeKalb County Community Gardens. The DeKalb City Council on Monday is expected to give direction to city staff on how to redevelop the space and review the project proposals

City staff are asking the Council to recommend both options, encouraging both NIU and the DCCG to incorporate each plan into the same space, documents show.

“Through years of legal contests and after the expenditure of about $4.4 million the city has created a space in which multiple progressive visions can be achieved,” City Manager Bill Nicklas wrote in recommendations ahead of Monday’s meeting. “This includes a corner at Blackhawk and W. Hillcrest that visually lifts the spirit of anyone living in, or visiting, the neighborhood.”

The two proposals concern the acquisition and redevelopment of the 4.87-acre property, which formerly was home to Hunter Hillcrest, Campus Cinema and Andreacchi Trust until the parcels came under city ownership between 2019 and 2022. Hunter Hillcrest Shopping Center was demolished by the city last summer. The former movie theater was demolished in 2020.

[ Judge denies landlord Hunter Properties’ request to halt Hillcrest demolition amid new land spat ]

Discussion on this topic heads to City Council for review at 6 p.m. April 10 at the DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St. No vote is expected, but further discussions are recommended.

One such proposal tendered by Northern Illinois University would establish the NIU Center for Greek Life, a new space for NIU’s Greek students to gather, eat and socialize.

The facility, as proposed, will occupy about 2 acres along Blackhawk Road but will exclude the corner opposite the intersection of Blackhawk Road and West Hillcrest Drive, documents show.

The 10,000-square-foot to 12,000-square-foot building would consist of meeting spaces, study and social lounge spaces, offices for university staff, a large event space that can be divided into multiple smaller spaces, an outdoor courtyard, a warming kitchen and a “chef center” food service hub with grab-and-go machines and display areas including fresh food, according to city documents.

Through years of legal contests and after the expenditure of about $4.4 million the city has created a space in which multiple progressive visions can be achieved. This includes a corner at Blackhawk and W. Hillcrest that visually lifts the spirit of anyone living in, or visiting, the neighborhood.”

—  DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas in city documents ahead of Council meeting

The facility is projected to cost the university $5 to $7 million to build, according to city documents. NIU leaders are offering the city $200,000 for the land.

Another proposal submitted by DeKalb County Community Gardens would offer the city $200,000 for 4.87 acres of land as project leaders seek to build a nearly $10 million facility dubbed the Community Health Education and Food (CHEF) complex.

The concept proposes a mixed-use development that aims to serve the needs of Annie Glidden North Neighborhood residents, community stakeholders, NIU’s Greek life community and other college/university students by providing space for greenhouses, a demonstration garden, garden center, food market, food hub, shared-use commercial kitchen, food court, gathering spaces, shared office space multipurpose rooms and more, according to city documents.

The land at the northwest corner of Hillcrest Drive and Blackhawk Road has been vacant for years but is viewed by DeKalb city leaders as a prime redevelopment area, according to city documents.

In the summer and fall of 2022, the city, in partnership with the Opportunity DeKalb Board, held a series of listening sessions to solicit community input identifying and prioritizing uses for the site. That process enabled the city to gain additional insight on potential uses for the site that were not born out of the Annie Glidden North Revitalization Plan adopted by the City Council in 2018.

[ DeKalb residents sound off on north side development proposals ]

The Annie Glidden North Revitalization Plan is a product born out of the city enlisting Camiros Ltd. along with the ad hoc Annie Glidden North Task Force to prepare a document that may define uses for the Annie Glidden North Neighborhood. It called for a mixed-use development providing shopping, services and other community amenities to anchor the corner of Hillcrest and Blackhawk.

Among the new ideas garnered through the listening sessions for the Annie Glidden North Neighborhood were a market space with fresh food and produce, an expanded bakery/coffee shop, a larger cafeteria-style service area with commercial kitchen, a food hub with warehouse storage and production and processing space, an expandable conference room space and a monitored recreational or learning space for neighborhood children.

The city does not intend to issue property tax proration – meaning property tax estimates for both the buyer and seller would be calculated – to the party that would redevelop the property, according to city documents. Upon closing on the sale of the property, the existing property tax exemption would be no longer.

Any final decision to acquire and redevelop the property will require City Council approval.