A few new trees, some benches and better lighting may be all DeKalb needs to awaken the downtown area.

The Re:New DeKalb construction is scheduled to begin this summer. And it’s about time that DeKalb gets the changes and updates it needs to live up to its potential.

Though more business has been attracted to DeKalb within the past few years, a stroll through downtown reveals a lot of empty buildings.

“There are Friday and Saturday nights where it’s hard to find a parking spot [downtown], and that didn’t happen four years ago,” said Trevor Turner, director of operations for O’Leary’s Restaurant.

It would be nice to be able to walk downtown and find my friend a cute birthday present. Taking the Huskie Bus to First Street and walking would make shopping a lot less of a hassle for me, especially since I don’t have a car, and the downtown area is closer to campus than Route 23.

Maybe at the end of this year, I could actually have my Christmas shopping finished before heading home for break.

“The more businesses there are, the more traffic comes through,” Turner said. “Then, DeKalb becomes a destination … If ‘Re:New DeKalb’ is successful, the whole dynamic will change.”

As of now, downtown DeKalb is not a place I generally go shopping.

People who do start shopping downtown if and when more businesses move into DeKalb may be also attracted to restaurants.

All of this has amazing potential to do great things for DeKalb’s economy.

“It’s a good time to be doing this project,” said Jennifer Groce, executive director of Re:New DeKalb.

Already, there are two new retailers in downtown DeKalb and a new restaurant, Filo Spinatos, Groce said.

Business that comes into town after Re:New DeKalb is finished will not only help the downtown area.Extra traffic and business attracted into town will be felt community-wide.

“It’s taken the right people to get involved and it’s taken the city to get behind it,” he said, “It’s noticeable that everyone is supportive of it.”