DeKalb County is one step closer to building a civic center after the Illinois General Assembly approved $10.4 million in state funds for the project.

Gov. James Thompson still must sign the bill approving the funds, said Sen. Patrick Welch, D-Peru. Welch said he anticipates the governor will sign the bill without any objections.

At the completion of the state legislature’s spring session, DeKalb County was the second highest recipient of funds, surpassed only by Schaumburg and DuPage counties, which will receive $20 million each.

With the support of state funding, DeKalb County is investigating the prospect of building a center, DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow said. If the center is built, he said the state will foot 75 percent of the bill and local funds will pay the remaining 25 percent.

Sparrow said money to support state civic centers will come from a new tax on computer software, which is implemented on the state level.

The tax will generate about $27 million per year, which will replenish bonds used to fund several civic centers in Illinois, Sparrow said.

Welch said that, until now, DeKalb County did not have enough tax base to qualify for state funds. This year, however, Welch was able to attach a proposal for the DeKalb County civic center to an existing bill calling for other civic centers in the state. Welch said he never was able to attach the project to a bill in past years.

Sparrow, who also is the secretary for the DeKalb County Exposition Authority Board, said discussion of a civic center has been on-going since the 1970s.

The board must follow guidelines in preparation for the possible center, including completion of a certification process to receive money for the center, Sparrow said. If all goes well, construction could begin next spring, he said.

A site for the center has not “publicly” been discussed but “logically, near the university attracted most people,” Sparrow said.

NIU President John LaTourette said, “The arena can’t be seriously considered unless the university participates in it,” because the center won’t be economically viable, LaTourette said.

The university is going “full speed ahead” on the development of the center, LaTourette said. NIU is in the process of determining what part the university will play in funding the center.

NIU will be able to use the area for sporting events, conferences and rock concerts, LaTourette said. Space problems in the off-campus recreation center and other campus areas will be alleviated with the building of the center as well, he said.