A new business park anchored by a Pilot Travel Center gas station and convenience store is headed for DeKalb’s south side after the City Council greenlit the project this week.

Unanimous council action on the DeKalb Commerce Center will allow development to begin on 114 acres at the southeast corner of Peace Road and Fairview Drive.

Officials said the project has been a long time in the making for the city.

Mayor Cohen Barnes expressed excitement about the project. He said the idea is to bring in more tax money, fuel and sales taxes for example, beyond property taxes.

“We’ve been wanting a truck stop,” Barnes said. “[...] We really do focus on the diversification of our tax base. It used to be all residential. Now we’ve got data centers. Now we’ve got distribution centers. Now, we’ve got a truck stop. We continue to figure out ways to make sure we’re not relying on one industry and more importantly, not relying on residential homeowners in how we fund all of our government bodies.”

Pilot Travel Center will take up 10 acres at the southeast corner of Peace Road and Fairview Drive.

Plans for other users in the business park aren’t yet known to the public and will require further city approval in the future.

Monday’s vote came after a positive recommendation by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

Briefing the City Council on plans for the site was Jerry Krusinski of JJK 343 LLC, the same entity behind the 560-acre new data center approved in December.

“We feel that this parcel, as you noted at the southeast corner of Peace and Fairview, sits perfectly for us to bring amenities to the city of DeKalb,” Krusinski said. “And what we are envisioning here is a mix of a lot of different businesses and uses.”

Project leaders are soliciting proposals for other potential businesses at the site also, documents show.

Nicklas said the need for the development is clear.

“I have to say that at the staff level, we have been wondering when we would see a truck center,” Nicklas said. “This is much needed.”

Nearby Rochelle and Hampshire also have Pilot travel centers.

Second Ward Alderwoman Barb Larson described the project as a “win-win” for the city and its residents.