DeKalb growth may be most visible with increased residential development, but the sudden influx of commercial development also has lent a hand in the city’s increased growth.

Over the past three to four years, new retail and restaurant developments have popped up all along Sycamore Road. Community Development Director Paul Rasmussen, however, said while DeKalb suddenly has become a popular attraction, it is not a surprise.

Rasmussen said community development has been working diligently with developers to bring in some of the new stores sprouting up throughout the city.

Being able to attract stores such as Borders Books and Music, 2520 Sycamore Road, has been a product of behind-the-scenes work. Community development meets with representatives of those companies to discuss the potential for these companies to create a DeKalb location.

Rasmussen said the sales tax aspect of commercial development has been substantial and necessary for the city to thrive. He said years back, DeKalb had about a 75 percent leakage rate — a rate that shows how many residents of DeKalb went out of the city during the course of a year to shop. Ideally, a leakage rate per town would be zero or near it because it would indicate healthy commercial business within a city

For example, Rasmussen said a while back that $325 per person was spent on apparel with only $75 being spent in DeKalb. He added that the number has increased considerably to somewhere between $150 and $200.

Rasmussen said community development has focused on three categories in terms of retail development.

One is apparel with stores such as Old Navy, 2347 Sycamore Road, and T.J. Maxx, 2353 Sycamore Road, recently built. The second is electronics as seen in the proposal of a Best Buy. And third, convenience restaurants which include fast food restaurants, and other food outlets such as Panera Bread on Sycamore Road, and possibly an Olive Garden.

Rasmussen said because of all the commercial developments, DeKalb is becoming a hot spot for outside communities and/or cities such as Dixon or Uttica.

“It’s a choice that comes down to if you want to drive 45 minutes to DeKalb to shop or an hour and a half to Randall Road, Fox Valley or Rockford to shop,” Rasmussen said. “Suddenly, DeKalb makes a whole lot of sense.”

Rasmussen said TIFF funds have played a role as well in supplying new commercial developments, with an example being the Joseph Freed project. In what was an abandoned shopping center, the area on Sycamore Road was with TIFF funds able to help with sewage issues, tearing/rebuilding proposals and landscaping.

Rasmussen also said commercial development may help the schools, but not as much as industrial development. He said projects such as Park 88 would help the schools tremendously because it would bring in taxes for the schools without overburdening them with more students.