Vacant DeKalb Grove Street building could be ‘good retail location,’ owner says

DeKALB – A DeKalb panel is preliminarily backing plans to rezone a Grove Street building that once housed a motorbike seller, in hopes of helping the building’s owner market the vacant space for new business.

The former home of Whizzer Fun Inc., 209 Grove St., was the subject of discussion this week as city officials look to grow downtown development opportunities. Action taken unanimously by the DeKalb Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the DeKalb City Council rezone the building from industrial use to allow for some commercial business.

The applicant, Mike Warfel, made a pitch to the panel.

“It’s a small space,” Warfel said. “It’s in a good location near a couple of parking lots. I think that it can be a good retail location. At this point, I’d rather not rent it out. I’d like to maintain control of the building.”

Warfel bought the building, which occupies about 1,1,00 square feet, in 2022, city documents show.

“I think that it can be a good retail location.”

—  Mike Warfel

Warfel said he’s invested a lot of time and money into this building.

In April 2024, the city allocated $23,380 in economic incentives from its Architectural Improvement Program to Warfel with costs needed to get the building up and running as an office or retail space.

“I bought this place 2 and ½ years ago thinking this was going to be a really nice, easy remodel job and I’d be done in the spring of 2023,” Warfel said. “Not so. It was a lot more work than I ever expected.”

The immediate area on the north side of Grove Street, between South Second Street and S. Third Street, is all currently zoned to allow for industrial business but is incompatible for 309 Grove St. and for the surrounding downtown business district, according to city code.

City Planner Dan Olson said the site would remain on an “island” by itself if the city were to allow the building to be zoned as light industrial.

“The big key is it’s just not compatible for light industrial type uses anymore,” Olson said. “We agree it should be changed.”

If the City Council backs the applicant’s request, the building could better accommodate retail and office uses, which are commonly seen in the nearby downtown area.

Warfel said he’s optimistic about the potential for the building.

“I think it’s going to make a fine retail location,” Warfel said. “This is, I think, the beginning of this whole block being developed.”

This story was updated at 4:06 p.m. April 10, 2025, to correct an earlier version which misstated what Whizzer Fun Inc. sold. The company sold motorbikes.