Developer wants to annex 130 acres in southern DeKalb for industrial use

DeKALB – A Glenview developer is asking for city approval to prepare a 130-acre piece of land on DeKalb’s south side to accommodate 1.6 million square feet of future manufacturing space.

Steven Goldin’s request to rezone property at the northwest corner of Peace and East Gurler roads will go before the city of DeKalb’s Planning and Zoning Commission at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Yusunas Meeting Room at the DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St. According to city documents released Thursday, Goldin intends to rezone the land to eventually accommodate 1,643,000 square feet of space for four buildings to be used for manufacturing, packaging, distribution and warehouses.

No interested business has yet been announced, city staff said in the petition request. Goldin also has requested that the land be annexed into the city from its unincorporated space.

“The proposed development will generate significant benefits to the community’s economy in the form of investment, construction, new tax revenue and job creation,” city staff wrote in documents released ahead of the public meeting.

Goldin met with city staff including City Manager Bill Nicklas, City Engineer Zac Gill and Planning Director Dan Olson on Nov. 2 to begin the application process, documents show.

The rural 130 acres is zoned for single-family residential use. If Goldin’s request is approved by the DeKalb City Council, it would be rezoned for industrial business use.

DeKalb County property records show the Goldin family, including an Aaron A. Goldin, owns four parcels on Gurler Road and at 18409 Webster Road – which is perpendicular to Gurler Road – totaling about 30 acres each. The properties are owned under Aaron A Goldin Trust and DeKalb Property TR 1, 2 and 3.

Steven Goldin’s request marks the latest in a years-long push by the city, land owners and businesses to redevelop agricultural and vacant land on the city’s south side down from the I-88 Tollway.

“The proposed rezoning will not have a detrimental effect on the adjacent properties or land uses as it entitles the subject property to a use of the property that is complementary with the surrounding area,” city staff wrote in the petition. “The proposed rezoning request and concept plan will allow the development of a project that will strengthen the community’s economic, employment, and tax base.”

Since 2020, multiple big name companies have put down roots in the city. City officials have in turn heralded economic growth in the area, calling DeKalb’s industrial boom a win for taxpayers and job-seekers.

Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has promised a $1 billion investment in the community with its Meta DeKalb Data Center, first reported in 2020. In April 2022, Meta announced plans to expand its data center by three buildings. The work for the almost 2.4 million-square-foot facility, which has taken over the 1500 block of Gurler Road, is expected to be completed by 2023.

Ferrara Candy Company announced in February 2020 that it would invest $100 million into DeKalb by building a 1.6 million-square-foot distribution facility, which opened in 2021. Online retail giant Amazon purchased nearly 59 acres of land for $6.3M in October 2021 at 1401 E. Gurler Road. And earlier this summer, global food manufacturer Kraft Heinz announced in July a $400 million investment for a 775,000-square-foot distribution facility at Gurler and Peace Roads. The food facility is expected to open in 2025.

Access to the developed land under Goldin’s proposal would come from Peace Road and along East Gurler Road. Plans also include 2,082 parking spaces and trailer spaces for the proposed buildings, along with 341 truck docks. If approved, the land also would need to be annexed into the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District, documents show.

If a business were to show interest in the property, a revised plan would likely need additional approval from the city, according to documents. A traffic study also would be conducted by the city once an entity shows interest in the developed site.

“We do not have a user at this time and so have developed a general plan that is meant to be flexible enough for a user or a number of users to be accommodated in the future,” the Goldin family wrote in an Aug. 11 letter to the city.

The Goldins said development of the 134.4-acre property also would benefit surrounding properties and raise property value in the area while bringing new jobs to the city, according to the letter.

In response to the increased industry in the area, the city has funneled money into roadway improvements and traffic signals at Peace and Gurler to account for a significant uptick in industrial truck traffic coming and going from the facilities.