DeKALB — On the week of Aug. 7, the DeKalb Public Works Department began the installation of brand-new street signs which are NIU themed. 

The street signs in Greek Row, located north of the NIU campus, have been replaced with the new signs. 

Eventually, Downtown DeKalb will also receive the new street signs with the NIU design. Several streets in the Greek Row areas that have already seen the switch include Russell Road, Greenbrier Road and Blackhawk Road.  

City Manager of DeKalb Bill Nicklas stated that for many years, people have been looking for more of a college town feel, and implementing NIU themed street signs would be a great way to do so. 

The new street signs feature a black background with the street name in white lettering, along with the Huskie logo on it. In addition, the signs on Greek Row will accordingly label the streets as ‘GREEK ROW’ below the street name.

The project is a collaborative effort between the City of DeKalb and the university. DeKalb purchased the sign material, printed the design and changed out the old signs with the new ones, whereas NIU worked on the design itself. The idea had been talked about for around a year. 

Rather than having just a university in a city, having NIU symbolism around different parts of DeKalb would give off a vibe of NIU pride and spirit to other parts of DeKalb, Nicklas said. 

New NIU Huskie Pride themed banners have also recently been installed on light poles in and around campus. These banners were created by the university and installed by the DeKalb Public Works. They will be ready to greet students as classes begin on Aug. 22.