Little Village Discount Mall vendors want upgrades halted, demand end to evictions

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Vendors at the Little Village Discount Mall are demanding construction upgrades to the shopping center stop for now.

The group held a caravan Thursday morning at the mall, where Novak Construction is planning to make several improvements.

However, vendors want construction paused until they have an agreement saying there won't be evictions at the end of the month.

For nearly four decades, the shopping plaza has housed more than 200 vendors who sell everything from dresses, to boots, to electronics.

But it's been an uneasy past three years after the site was sold to developer Novak Construction. Vendors repeatedly complained they heard little to nothing about the future of the mall from Novak, and feared they would be evicted to make way for a big box store.

In February, after mounting pressure, Novak Construction responded to the outcry from vendors concerned about being displaced, finally agreeing to meet with them.

Novak announced on Feb 13 the mall would remain open and receive "long overdue" upgrades to provide a safter, more welcoming environment for shoppers and members of the Little Village community.

The improvements will include new building facades and roofs, a new surface parking lot with an underground stormwater detention system, and new lighting, new landscaping, new signage, and other upgrades.

According to Block Club Chicago, Novak later said a longterm agreement was reached with only one of the two operators of the mall, which would continue to lease their space to vendors. But because Novak hadn't reached an agreement with the other operators, some vendors must leave by March 26.

Novak's plan for that half of the mall remains unclear, but Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th), who has supported the vendors, has threatened legal action if Novak doesn't make a deal with all existing vendors.