DeKALB – NuEra Cannabis, the second of two marijuana dispensaries slated for DeKalb, is entering a new era in its hopes of setting up shop in town in early 2024.
On Monday, project leaders joined city staff for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of work that will commence on the building at 818 W. Lincoln Highway. DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas and city planner Dan Olson were present.
The 4,834 square-feet space, now vacant, used to be home to the former Book World in The Junction Shopping Center.
Plans for the soon-to-be marijuana dispensary have been a long time in the making, officials said.
“We are absolutely delighted,” NuEra Cannabis chief operating officer Laura Jaramillo Bernal said. “We really thought that we would’ve been up and running years ago, but the cannabis licensing process has been much slower than everybody expected. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed everything a lot more than everyone expected. So, it’s taken everything a little while, but both the city and our landlord have been incredibly supportive and incredibly patient. We are so excited to finally be breaking ground today and hopefully opening up our doors to the public in quarter one next year.”
NuEra Cannabis already has other dispensaries in Illinois, including in Aurora, East Peoria, Chicago Champaign, Urbana and Pekin, according to its website.
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