Possible plans for a former Sycamore funeral home could include becoming a grass lot or a juvenile safehouse.

DeKalb County’s purchase of a former Sycamore funeral home for $400,000 was completed Wednesday Oct. 15. While the purchase is official, plans for the two-story building, 203 E. State St., are not as set in stone.

Possibilities for the structure include tearing it down and making it into a grass lot, or turning it into a safehouse for juveniles, said Gary Hanson, DeKalb Deputy County Administrator.

“It’s very, very preliminary,” said Margi Gilmour , Deputy Director of DeKalb County Court Services. “We’re looking into the possibility of making it more of a foster home setting for kids who may need to be temporarily removed from their home environment for whatever reason.”

DeKalb County has been looking for such a place, said Sycamore Mayor Ken Mundy earlier this week. He also said the city is well aware of this need and is supporting the county in finding this sort of residence.

“We’re happy they have this opportunity and hopefully it will be pursued and become a reality,” Mundy said.

Gilmour said it’s too early to tell what will become of this suggestion about the juvenile home.

“It’s very early in the process to even say we’re committing to anything one way or the other,” Gilmour said. “We still have to go through some zoning ordinance procedures and those kinds of things before it’s actually a definite.”

While planning seems to be up in the air at this point, some citizens wonder why the building was purchased in the first place.

“We have a policy to acquire property adjacent to our campus when it becomes available,” Hanson said.

The possibility of turning the former funeral home into a juvenile safehouse does have potential and could help the community, Hanson said. Many officials agree.

“These kids live in our community,” Gilmour said. “We want them to have the opportunity to model appropriate behavior, increase their skills and get the services they need so they can be productive members of our community.”

Mundy said this possibility will be fulfilled and Sycamore is willing to lend a hand in making the juvenile home a reality.

“The city is welcoming the opportunity to help in regards to making this happen,” Mundy said.