DeKALB – In the next 10 years, residents want downtown DeKalb to be bigger and better.

About 50 community leaders gathered at Eduardo’s Mexican Restaurant on Tuesday to discuss potential improvements to downtown DeKalb, one of which was expanding the core to the east and especially west toward the Northern Illinois University campus. The event was sponsored by Re:New DeKalb, the city of DeKalb, and the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce.

Integration of NIU into the downtown was a major focus, with participants suggesting building the physical downtown outward, establishing easier access from the campus to downtown or even having NIU hold classes, such as art, in some of the vacant space downtown to introduce students to the area.