Potential $6.5M development could be coming to Sycamore, officials say

Community leaders on Wednesday announced a potential multimillion-dollar manufacturing development, codenamed “Project Balsam,” could be coming to Sycamore.

The unveiling happened at the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce‘s annual State of the Community Address.

Project Balsam would be a $6.5 million capital investment into Sycamore’s manufacturing sector that would create an estimated 20 jobs, according to information shared by the DeKalb County Economic Co. Melissa Amedeo, the agency’s executive director, said the potential development isn’t guaranteed to happen in Sycamore, however.

“[Project Balsam] is through the RFI [request for information] process that we go through with the state,” Amedeo said. “We’re not the only one considered for this, this property, the second one on there, codename Project Balsam.”

Amedeo said DCEDC is also “courting” another manufacturing business for a project that could go in the Sycamore Prairie Business Park. If it does, she said that industrial growth could create 60 jobs within the next two years.

In front of dozens of business leaders and community members inside the DeKalb County Community Foundation’s Frieght Room, 475 DeKalb Ave., on Wednesday, government and economic leaders talked about how their respective organizations are working to support Sycamore residents.

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Kristen Campbell, Sycamore Community School District 427 superintendent, speaks Wednesday, May 6, 2026, during the State of the Community Address hosted by the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce in the DeKalb County Community Foundation Freight Room. (Mark Busch)

Sycamore City Manager Michael Hall outlined the services and expenses that go through the city government, as well as its role in the economy.

“Cities don’t create development,” Hall said. “We position ourselves to be ready when opportunity arises. We don’t create it. Just as you want something to happen, we try to make it happen by attracting others to come to us.”

Workforce, simplified bureaucracy, good infrastructure and location, housing, good quality of life and tax incentives are the top six reasons, respectively, companies choose a location for a new project, according to data from Brookings Metro that Hall cited.

During his address, Hall also highlighted various actions the city government could take if elected officials want to spur economic growth, and the different levels of risk associated with those moves.

The actions with the lowest risk center around regulating development through design guidelines, ordinances and zoning. Medium-risk options for city governments include investments in public infrastructure and public financial assistance for developers, Hall said. Those actions can involve tax increment financing (TIF), enterprise zones, grants, loans and sales tax incentives.

Actions Hall said are high risk, which he designated red, would involve the city taking an active role in buying or developing properties that the city could have an equity position in.

When Shaw Local asked how much risk is right for the city, Hall said: “The City Council determines the risk level of how much incentives they want to put into it.”

“They are not risk-averse,” Hall said. “They’re not into that redzone, where they want to do the actual building.”

In February, the Sycamore City Council approved a tax incentive for a potential Olive Garden restaurant that may come to the city.

Every local leader who spoke Wednesday welcomed questions from the dozens of people who attended the event after their 10-minute presentations. Two Sycamore Community School District 427 Board of Education members were among those who asked Amedeo and Hall questions.

School board member Alex Grados asked Amedeo how Sycamore could emulate the economic growth the city of DeKalb has seen in recent years. Major manufacturers including Ferrara Candy Co., Amazon, Kraft Heinz and data centers from Meta and Edged, have been greenlit in DeKalb since 2020.

“In [District] 427, we’re about 70% residential, so the burden really falls on our homeowners,” Grados said, speaking about property taxes paid to the school district. “Our neighbors to the south in DeKalb have seen exponential growth in their commercial base.”

Amedeo said the availability of land, as well as power, gas and water resources, impacts what businesses could be brought to Sycamore.

When asked by Shaw Local where Sycamore fits into the broader, regional economy, Amedeo said she thinks “Sycamore has the same advantages and opportunities that a DeKalb has in a large sense.”

“I think where the opportunity comes is, you don’t have the land to expand that are near the expressway,” Amedeo said. “The growth that’s happened in DeKalb has happened because they’re close to [Interstate] 88, that’s why. You’re not going to be able to bring that level of growth to Sycamore.”

She said commercial businesses that would add to the Sycamore’s sales tax base – which Hall said makes up 50% of the city’s revenue – could fit into the city’s economic niche.

School Board President Michael DeVito asked Hall about the city’s stance on annexing land into the city. Hall said annexation starts with landowners.

“Most people don’t [want to be annexed into the city] because out of the city you pay less taxes,” Hall said. “The only reason why they’d want to come into the city is they want an advantage that we have – water, sewer services, that sort of thing – and so it’s usually because they want to sell property who wants to come in and have those services.”

More than 63% of the 2025 property tax bill went toward Sycamore schools, while 6.63% went to the city, according to information Hall presented.

Among the panel of five leaders who spoke at the State of the Community Address, four were women, including two community newcomers.

Kristen Campbell is the Sycamore school district’s new superintendent as of March 1. She started 2026 as assistant superintendent of high schools for Oswego School District 308. The school board unanimously approved Campbell for the role after a national search was conducted to fill the top district job. That search began after former superintendent Steve Wilder and the school board agreed to sign a mutual separation agreement weeks before the 2026-2027 school year started.

Now two months into her time with the district, Campbell said the finalization of the school board’s district goals will direct her focus over the next few years.

“That’s providing real clear direction of where we’re headed,” Campbell said. “The next part of that is that strategic planning. How is that actually going to come to life, and what are those deliverables? And again, that’s a community effort, and the community will be hearing more updates about how we’re progressing.”

DeKalb County Administrator Ruth Kedzior was the other new leader who spoke. The DeKalb County Board unanimously voted to make her the county administrator on Feb. 18.

Former county administrator Brian Gregory vacated the position for a private sector job in August 2024. Derek Hiland, the county’s community development director, served as interim administrator for 18 months.

Kedzior said she’s currently focused on learning what she can do to support the county’s departments, as well as the County Board.

“I’m excited,” Kedzior said. “I think there’s a lot that the county has to offer, and I think the strength of the county is really dependent on the strength of this group and our other community partners. So I am very encouraged for the future.”