A team from DeKalb is in North Carolina for the next phase of a competition that is spurring towns to create ambitious development plans.
It started with 350 communities -- now it’s down to 15 in the national contest called “America’s Best Communities.” DeKalb is the only Illinois city still in the running for the three million dollar first prize. Frontier Communications is the main sponsor of the competition designed to help communities revive their economies. Alex Nerad leads DeKalb’s movement to create an arts, culture, and entertainment corridor, a.k.a The ACE Corridor. He says the city, the county, and Northern Illinois University can use it to attract businesses, students, and faculty. Nerad says “We think it’s a great tool for growth and will increase the quality of life for the town.”
DeKalb’s team will have ten minutes to present its seven point plan to a team of judges in Durham, North Carolina during the two day event. It features projects designed to promote technology, local food production, life-long education, and the arts.
