Abandoned-looking areas creating eyesores in cities across America actually have a name.

Brownfield is the title given to polluted sites with some form of contamination, or decrepit areas needing resuscitation.

Russ Farnum, DeKalb’s Community Development director, said the city is striving to eliminate these areas to provide a more aesthetically-pleasing image for the community.

“DeKalb has very few sites that are contaminated or pose any public health threat,” he said. “DeKalb certainly has several areas of town that could stand some redevelopment.”

The city plans to further detail objectives for residents as well as the city itself, at the first downtown revitalization task force meeting at 7:30 to 9 a.m. Thursday, Farnum said.

“We have a number of different neighborhood strategic plans in the books, such as our East Lincoln Highway revitalization plan,” he said. “We’re working on the downtown plan, basically from the Kishwaukee River to Seventh Street and several blocks north of that corridor along Route 38.”

Farnum also said DeKalb will include area neighborhoods in future planning discussion.

“These are not brownfields, per say, because they have no contamination, but they could use some economic revitalization,” he said.

The abandoned bank building on the corner of Fourth Street and East Lincoln Highway will be part of the downtown comprehensive plan conversation.

Sycamore is sparse in terms of brownfield lots.

“The main brownfield we have is the Harvester Square building,” said Assistant City Manager Brian Gregory.

The lot on South Avenue, which is being demolished in parts, has resumed progress earlier last week.

Sycamore relies primarily on sales tax revenues, but gets some assistance from state grants for this project.