Northland Plaza is expanding through the addition of new fashion outlets.

Maurice’s and Elder Beerman currently are open; however, additional businesses are scheduled to open doors soon.

Located on Sycamore Road, the plaza’s latest opening was the J.C. Penney store that opened Aug. 13. With just a short move from its original location, the store has completely changed its look and taken on a new image, said Sarah Goodman, a senior customer service specialist.

"It was cheaper to just start fresh at an entire new location rather than renovate the old store," she said.

Goodman said store sales have improved drastically, largely because of new services such as better lighting, bigger aisles and outstanding service.

"The setup is 10 times better, and the customers are very satisfied," she said. "They love the location and the way we look."

Let It Be, 854 W. Lincoln Highway, soon will take anchor in the plaza under a new name, L.I.B. Fashions.

"We will definitely get more traffic being on Sycamore [Road], and we hope to increase sales," said manager Michelle Decker. "A lot of people don’t realize we’re here [at our current location]."

Decker said Let It Be hopes to open at Northland Plaza by early October.

Residents of Greek Row and the surrounding neighborhood may find their living environment a little brighter, if the DeKalb City Council passes a proposal for area lighting improvements.

The plan for increased lighting is one of the proposed steps to improve the safety of the area, Community Services Planner Sue Guio said.

“We want to make people feel safe and enjoy their living environment,” she said.

According to the results of a survey taken by Greek Row residents in 2001, safety is one of the main concerns of residents in this area, Guio said.

“I think increased lighting would make people feel safer,” Sigma Kappa Social Chair Cindy Salas said.

The proposed area for lighting consists of the property between Edgebrook Drive and Greenbrier Road, she said.

The city hopes to increase lighting in and between privately owned parking lots, so the property owners have to give their consent before city council can approve the plan, Guio said.

Most of the property owners agree this program should be implemented, First Ward Alderman Karega Harris said.

“There is definitely a need for more lighting,” Star Properties Office Manager Joe Sosnowski said.

The landlords in the area are making more of an effort, Sosnowski said. Star Properties has been making improvements in several of the area buildings.

“We are hoping to improve the quality of living there,” he said.

To begin the process, ComEd has been hired to give cost estimates and other assessments, Community Development Intern Laurie Hoogeveen said.

The lighting committee will meet Wednesday to finalize a schedule of events, Guio said. As of now, there is no deadline set for the lights to be installed.

“If everything goes perfectly, January would be the earliest,” she said.

In further attempts to increase safety, the city has adopted an environmental design for safety, Guio said.

Some of the existing landscaping, such as bushes next to doorways, allows criminals to surprise their victims or hide after they have committed a crime, she said.

The environmental design for safety asks property owners to take these factors into consideration and make the changes necessary to improve safety, she said.

Improving residents’ safety is one of the goals in the Greek Row Revitalization Program that began last September.

A meeting with the Student Association at the end of September will address other possibilities for area improvements, Hoogeveen said.

First Ward Alderman and NIU student Karega Harris sustained minor injuries following a motorcycle accident outside Village Commons, 901 Lucinda Ave., Wednesday night.

Harris was treated and released from Kishwaukee Community Hospital with minor injuries.

According to a source close to Harris, his brand-new motorcycle was "totaled." The source was unsure whether Harris was wearing a helmet or not.

Harris was elected to the DeKalb City Council in April. He is the director of Cultural Affairs for the NIU Student Association.

DeKalb police were unable to confirm the cause of the accident and said the investigation still is pending.

Harris was unavailable for comment Wednesday night.

NIU students may now find vacant spaces instead of parked cars on Garden Road.

Cars parked there between 2 and 9 a.m. will be towed according to a city ordinance passed by the DeKalb City Council on July 28. Parking was also eliminated from the south drive of Barsema Hall to College View.

Towed cars will cost the students a $50 impound fee in addition to the inconvenience of getting their cars back.

The ordinance was passed after a special meeting where DeKalb residents and Student Association representatives reached a compromise.

"My concern is since that is a tow zone, the only representation is a pictorial representation below the no-parking sign," said Adam Novotney, SA director of governmental affairs.

Novotney also was concerned that students might not be aware of the tow possibilities since the ordinance was passed when most students were away for summer.

"It was sort of an underhanded effort by the city while most students weren’t here," Novotney said. "This was a compromise in the largest extent; the city residents were coming from a stand point of no parking whatsoever."

City Manager Jim Connors said that although the ordinance is in effect, for the first few days of school only warning tickets will be given out to students.

"The first couple of weeks we’ll work with people," Connors said, "[but] they shouldn’t be parking where there’s yellow whether it’s Garden Road or anywhere else."

The parking issue will be brought before the city council in November for review so that changes, if required, can be made before spring semester.