IN with the
NEW E
veryone came up a winner in a downtown office space equivalent of musical chairs – one that is seeing city hall take up residence downtown, the chamber of commerce bridge the gap between downtown and the university, and a local bank make efficient use of empty office space.
Last fall, the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce moved its offices from a century-old downtown bank building into newer, more modern digs inside the First Midwest Bank location at 130 W. Lincoln Highway. The move was sparked by the City of DeKalb’s decision to locate city offices in the historic bank, known as the Nehring Building. The building was recently sold to the city by the DeKalb Park District;
City Hall relocation sends DeKalb Chamber of Commerce office from historic bank building to modern bank
the chamber had been a tenant there since 2002. “The city downsized and didn’t need their huge building on Fourth Street anymore,” DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Matt
By D.M. Herra
Duffy said. “When they were seeking to relocate, they wanted to be in the heart of downtown.” Located at the intersection of Lincoln Highway and Second Street, the Nehring Building fit the bill. The city’s need for space dropped dramatically after the DeKalb Police Department moved into its new facility in 2013, and the old city hall will require some major renovations in the near future, city manager Bill Nicklas has said. The Nehring Building – smaller, located in the heart of downtown and already government owned – seemed the perfect solution. That solution did, however, put the chamber and the building’s other tenants, the DeKalb County Convention
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