Area residents can expect to see a developmental boom within the next few months as retailers such as Kohl’s and possibly Best Buy find their way to DeKalb.

As planned, Kohl’s will open an 82,000- square-foot complex in March at DeKalb’s Market Square Plaza.

Community Development Director Paul Rasmussen said the store will be bigger than Elder Beerman and JC Penney, both of which occupy 50,000square-foot locations.

The store will benefit the city because many residents travel to Rockford and other cities to shop, he said.

Best Buy is considering coming to town, and most likely will find a location in the DeKalb Market Square Plaza area, Rasmussen said. The store would be relatively small in comparison to most Best Buy stores, which average 20,000 square feet. The company has no definite opening date.

He also said DeKalb is trying to lure other establishments into the area.

Alan Saposnik, vice president of development for Joseph Freed and Associates of Northland Plaza, said he has spoken to several fashion retailers about expanding to DeKalb.

Many retailers do not take into account the student population when deciding whether or not to expand to DeKalb, Saposnik said. He also said retailers do not realize that students are one of the main driving forces behind DeKalb’s economy.

“We have had to educate retailers about the students and their purchasing power,” Saposnik said. “The student body is under-served.”

JC Penney realizes the college market is vital to their stability.

As a result, merchandise is being liquidated from the current space, 2500 Sycamore Road, for a move to Northland Plaza. The new store is scheduled to open between August and September.

the expansion of the town, it was a company decision to move to the bigger store,” said Rachel Hecathoron, supervisor at JC Penney.

The new store will look more modern and contemporary than the old store, Hecathoron said. She said the current location was too small, and the new location will be bigger and better to suit the needs of area residents.

Rasmussen said the reason for an increase in city expansion is to prevent leakage, which is people going elsewhere to buy because there are not enough resources, he said.

“The city is dependent on sales tax,” Rasmussen said. “Forty-five percent of the budget comes from sales tax.”