DeKalb city awards $25K in TIF incentives to aid financial services business

DeKALB – The former Perfect Reflections Beauty Salon property in DeKalb was recently aided with a $25,000 architectural improvement program grant, meant to help boost new plans for a pre-paid services business in the space.

Action taken by the DeKalb City Council is meant to incentivize the property owner to make improvements that will help foster the development of a pre-paid services business just outside of the city’s downtown at 830 E. Lincoln Highway.

The owner, Miguel Zepeda, plans to upgrade and remodel the single-story building for a pre-paid services business, for the Hispanic community, in particular, with services such as Western Union, pre-paid phones and phone accessories, and a bill payment center, city documents show. He also intends to create a parking area immediately west of the building to accommodate six to seven regular spaces and to install a handicap space on the east side of the building.

New investment in the property is anticipated to amount to $51,254, city documents show.

Council action taken to extend support to businesses that fall outside the boundaries of the city’s Downtown TIF district is nothing new.

In January, the city decided to offer assistance to Sullivan’s Tavern, 722 E. Lincoln Highway.

City Manager Bill Nicklas urged the council for its support of the property owner’s request.

“This is an established business that he’s been running in our community,” Nicklas said. “He’d like to locate it on Lincoln Highway, which [is] more visible. [He’d like to] make improvements to the building and also to the grounds to meet the city’s requirements with off-street parking.”

The former Perfect Reflections Beauty Salon property sits vacant along East Lincoln Highway. It also was used as a gas station and subsequently for used car sales and several short-lived business ventures over the years, city documents show.

In a 8-0 decision, the City Council voted to support the property owner’s request.