This fall, Sprint will open in a part of a new retail center in front of Michael’s Arts and Crafts, 2341 Sycamore Road.

The space will be turned over to Sprint on June 6 and should open by September.

Sprint is the only tenant to sign a lease for the new building so far, but the retail center will hold as many tenants as it takes to balance the space, said Daniel Rapp, plan examiner for the city of DeKalb.

The new building is the last approved location to be added to the shopping center that includes Old Navy and Michael’s, said Marc Strauss, First Rockford Group general counsel.

Sprint’s interest in DeKalb is a combination of location and floor plan, Strauss said.

In any retail plan, tenants look for the amount of traffic they will get in front of the center, parking options, other tenants surrounding the space and the right demographic, Strauss said.

“It all starts with the right people with the right characteristics to buy the product being offered,” he said. “It also helps with NIU being close by.”

Sprint’s presence in DeKalb may help the city in the long run, Strauss said.

“Since people will be working there, the payroll will have a ripple effect, and if they add some additional goods and services, it should do the same,” he said.