Plans to reopen McCabe’s Tavern in downtown DeKalb in the works

DeKALB – After sitting vacant for more than 20 years, plans to bring life again to the Italian Renaissance Revival building commonly known as McCabe’s Lounge in downtown DeKalb have surfaced.

In a recent Facebook post, plans for the building at 323 E. Lincoln Highway were announced by Veronica Galindo, who is the tenant who will run and operate the facility.

Mayor Cohen Barnes said he is excited to see that there’s interest in reopening McCabe’s.

“I really look forward to seeing what’s going to become of that building and what new entertainment it’s going to bring to downtown DeKalb,” Barnes said. “That’s super exciting. I do know there’s a tenant that my understanding is has a lease right now and it will be an entertainment venue, but they’re going to have to work with the city of DeKalb’s Code Department in order to bring that building up to code.”

Barnes said the building’s tenant has not yet gained clearance from the city to occupy the space.

“I don’t think a lot has been done on the inside from a public safety standpoint,” Barnes said. “The new owner and the new lease holder will have to work with our city code department in order to make sure that it is safe before they would get issued an occupancy permit from the city of DeKalb to be able to open their doors and serve the public.”

It remains unclear when the facility would open for business.

Attempts to reach Galindo for comment were unsuccessful.

Barnes acknowledged that Galindo has announced a May opening date for the facility, but said it may not be likely considering all the work that needs to be done.

“It’s going to need a sprinkler system,” Barnes said. “It’s going to need some fire safety [upgrades]. It all comes down to public safety. In the last 20 years, there’s been different changes to code in order to protect the public. They’re going to have to make sure that the McCabe’s building is up to par with those new codes.”

Besides a tavern, McCabe’s was once home over the years to a bank, restaurant, furniture store and ACE Hardware, among other businesses, DeKalb Public Library records show.

Barnes said while there hasn’t been a large outpouring of residents expressing interest in another banquet facility in town, he often fields calls and inquiries from residents about businesses they’d like to see, especially in the downtown.

“I get feedback from people all the time on what they’d love to see especially downtown,” he said. “We have Faranda’s and they do a great job providing those services. But do people want options? They do. They would love to have choice. But what I hear the most is people in the city of DeKalb want to see more cool and fun things to do for themselves as well as their children and families. As much as we can, whether it’s new restaurants, whether it’s … ice skating, people are really looking toward city leadership to continue to make downtown DeKalb and the city of DeKalb vibrant.”