A little bit of Ireland is making its way to downtown DeKalb in the form of a pub and grill.

O’Leary’s Irish Pub and Grill currently is preparing to occupy the former Maurice’s, 260 E. Lincoln Highway. Mel Witmer, the owner of the new DeKalb location and another O’Leary’s in Dixon, said his restaurant will be designed to have an intimate dining feel.

However, the restaurant is several months away from being complete, with an expected June 1 opening.

The DeKalb City Council recently voted to give the bar $60,000 to help pay for construction, City Manager Mark Biernacki said. The money went to installing a sprinkler system and an elevator large enough to accommodate a medical gurney, Witmer said. This is the second time the bar has received Tax Increment Funding money.

TIF funds come from TIF districts, which are districts within a city that are designated to have fixed taxes, Biernacki said. The first year a TIF district is started is the base year.

When tax rates change, the funding difference between the base year and the current year results in TIF funding, Biernacki said. TIF funds go toward street and facade improvements within the district the money was collected.

When completed, O’Leary’s will have restaurant seating for 300 on two levels, with more than 40 seats split between two bars, Witmer said. The first-floor bar will seat 32.

Two staircases allow access to the upstairs seating area, Witmer said. Upstairs, there will be a second bar with seating for 12 and a staging area. The back of the pub will hold corporate offices.

The basement will be reserved as a meeting room for groups in the area and will be free to all, Witmer said.

Witmer wants to make the bar friendly to families and college students.

“I can’t say we alienate any demographic,” he said.

Witmer said he wants to establish good relationships with bars in DeKalb and be known as a place that will complement bars when it comes to meeting bar patrons’ needs.

O’Leary’s is getting a Class E liquor license and will focus on serving food, Witmer said.