DeKALB — Ferrara Candy Company, owners of SweeTarts, Fun Dip, Nerds and more, will construct a 1.6 million square foot distribution complex in DeKalb.

The distribution center is expected to be operational in 2021 and will bring an estimated 500 jobs to the city, according to a Friday city news release. It will be built on 106 acres of land in the ChicagoWest Business Park, a planned plot just south of the DeKalb oasis.

“This new distribution complex represents growth not only for Ferrara, but the City of DeKalb,” Mike Murray, Ferrara’s Chief Operating Officer, said for the release.

Paul Borek, executive director of the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation, said for the release that DeKalb was chosen “because of its utility infrastructure, its proximity to Interstate 88, its workforce, and its business-friendly taxing bodies.”

The release states that City Manager Bill Nicklas hopes the projected investment of more than $100 million will inspire further corporate interest in DeKalb.

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Editor’s note: This is a developing story, and The Northern Star will be updating it as the story progresses.