DeKALB — For the fourth time in less than three years, a large establishment will add numerous jobs to the ChicagoWest Business Center in DeKalb. The city had a meeting in August to approve the facility. It has been calling itself “Project Wildcat.” 

“(ChicagoWest) has submitted a petition to annex, to rezone and to approve a preliminary development plan for the 160-acre site in order to develop the two-phased project,” said City Manager Bill Nicklas.

Project Wildcat will feature major food and beverage distribution, packaging and storage space.

The facility will be constructed near the Meta Data Center and other well-known businesses on the north side of Gurler Road between Crego Road and Peace Road, which will be 2.1 million square feet in size. Two proposed structures are planned for development; one is expected to be 1.2 million square feet in size and the other will be 900,000 square feet. 

“This project represents another very substantial contribution to the City’s property tax base and employment opportunities,” Nicklas said.

In addition to cutting local property taxes, the project will create new community value that can be used to expand services. 

Project Wildcat is the latest project announcement in the business center, which the Krusinski Construction Company established. 

“ChicagoWest is proud to have put over 1,000 acres into development since 2019 in the ChicagoWest Business Center,” said Jerry Krusinski, CEO of Krusinski Construction Company and one of the principals of the ChicagoWest Business Center. 

Construction work started immediately after Labor Day, and the facility is expected to be finished and operational in 2025.