The DeKalb County Board recommended a proposal that would facilitate Kohl’s to build a new department store in DeKalb.

In January, First Rockford Group responded to a public offering for land, located adjacent to Lowes and Wal-Mart, from the board. The offer made was for $650,000 for a 21.6-acre parcel of land.

Since June 1999, First Rockford has made three attempts to purchase the land. The first two offers were rejected for different reasons.

Kohl’s has proposed a store of 88,000 square feet with the potential to expand another 20,000.

Kohl’s also had agreed to position the new store so that another tenant on the proposed site could build a building of up to 35,000 square feet.

Ray Bockman, county administrator for DeKalb County, said this would fill a huge hole. It would keep those who go to places like Cherryvale Mall in Rockford in the area.

The site will allow a total of 180,000 square feet of potential retail development.

The county accepted the offer with three contingencies.

First, an anchor store, accepted by both the City of DeKalb and the county, be built. Second, an extension of 10 years in the city and county sales tax sharing agreement.

“We are convinced that left alone, Kohl’s will eventually build a store in this market,” said Bockman in a written proposal to the board. “We are trying to get this store built sooner for obvious economic reasons.”

It is DeKalb County’s intention to get the new Kohl’s store to begin collecting estimated annual revenues of $200,000 to $300,000 a year from expected sales. Both the city and county would receive this amount.

The third contingency is that the county consider participating jointly with the city in infrastructure improvements not to exceed $775,000 each.

These improvements would include maintenance of the retention ponds in the area and other similar maintenance.

Bockman concluded his presentation to the executive committee with recommendations.

The board must reaffirm the 10-year sales tax extension.

“If you accept the recommendations,” Bockman said to the city, “you put the ball in their court.”

Now that the proposal has been accepted by the county, it is up to the city to approve it.

“The feedback, I thought, was fairly positive,” said Bockman of his impression of the DeKalb City Council’s considerations of the proposal.

Bockman reiterated that Kohl’s is willing to wait 10 years to build. Kohl’s plans on building here, but does not care when or where.