DeKalb salon, former car dealership building to get updates with city’s help

DeKALB – A Third Street beauty salon and an East Lincoln Highway building that once housed a used car dealership are getting a hand-up on repairs with a little aid from the City of DeKalb.

Maria Caudillo, the owner of the building at 147 to 149 S. Third St., was awarded $2,858 from the city’s architectural improvement program. The city fund is meant to support local business owners seeking to improve or renovate their buildings or facades, and uses city tax increment financing money.

Miguel Zepeda, the owner of 830 E. Lincoln Highway that has a prepaid services business inside, also was awarded $25,000 from the city’s AIP fund.

Mayor Cohen Barnes gave kudos to Zepeda and Caudillo for their commitment to doing business in DeKalb.

“I definitely want to express my appreciation to Miguel and Maria for both choosing to continue to invest in our community,” Barnes said. “It’s always cool to see.”

Caudillo asked the city for help with paying $28,580 worth of emergency roof repairs to her building, which is home to Reyna’s Pelugueria beauty salon, immediately south of the Third Street Laundromat, city documents show.

“In these instances, there’s a 10% reimbursement for deferred maintenance,” City Manager Bill Nicklas said.

The property at 830 E. Lincoln Highway has not been put to use for many years. Over time, the building was converted from a single-family property to a gas/service station, to a used car dealership and then a beauty salon.

In November 2023, the City Council granted Zepeda’s pre-paid services business $25,000 through the AIP fund, but he didn’t move forward with the money or the improvement project at the time.

Nicklas said the owner believes he has undertaken more work than he originally planned. Zepeda is planning a significant overhaul of the building, according to city documents.

“Essentially has led to the gutting of the building,” Nicklas said. “There’s an ancillary pie-shaped lot, really odd-shaped lot that he also wants to improve with some paving and striping and so forth that would make it easier for customers to come in and get out. There’s only a few off-street parking spaces on the lot now on the corner.”

The total cost of East Lincoln Highway project is close to $100,000, officials said.