In the Fellowship Hall of a small church in DeKalb, where the game of Bingo is often played, the future plans of downtown were put into action.

The Hitchcock Design Group ran the event and led a presentation and brainstorming seminar. Mayor Frank Van Buer was in attendance and thanked the roughly 75 people for coming to St. Mary’s Church.

“This project won’t be successful without your ideas,” Van Buer said.

This event is the first of a three-phase process, which will also include an “alternative ideas” stage and the finalization of the project.

A slide show presented possible ideas for the downtown area. Hitchcock noted these are not official plans, just ideas to stimulate imaginations.

Attendees were then asked to fill out the reverse side of the maps they were given, and to include what they wanted DeKalb to look like in 10 years.

“I’d like to see an upscale dining facility by the Kishwaukee River,” said DeKalb resident Stan Limbahl.

Other residents suggested changing some streets and street directions to end some confusions.

“North Second Street should run north, and South Second Street should run south. It makes logical sense,” said DeKalb resident Barry Haber.

Others suggested housing districts be put up in the downtown area.

“I would like to see row housing on Fourth Street, from the railroad to Oak Street,” said DeKalb resident Susan Johnson. A study presented showed that 60-90 trains howl through the city each day.

“I would like to see more bike paths to the downtown area,” said Judy Schneider, a DeKalb resident.

Other popular suggestions included a courtyard entertainment area, upper-level stores and housing, public bathrooms, more parking and restoration of old theaters in the downtown area.

Rich Hitchcock of Hitchcock Design Group was very pleased with the turnout and the results.

“The groups were very studious,” he said. The group is overseeing the project.

Bridget Lane, vice president of Business Districts, Inc., gave a presentation on current, popular housing designs and trends in the country.

According to Lane, there is an increase in smaller houses and condominiums and an overall return to urban living. Lane also explained how main streets attract business and eventually support themselves.

“Significant-sized main streets have a lot of opportunity,” she said.

She emphasized DeKalb‘s younger market population could drive the downtown businesses.

A presentation was given on traffic levels in downtown DeKalb, and despite the many complaints registered over the past years, only 10 percent of the traffic was found to be from trucks.

There were also many complaints in the study done by Business Districts, Inc, and many existing parking areas were found that were not commonly used by downtown dwellers.