(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Former Little Village Discount Mall vendors, long facing uncertainty, have now settled into their new home in Gage Park.
It’s been just over a year and a half since about half the vendors at the Discount Mall in Little Village lost their fight to stay and had to find a new place to operate . That new place is now open.
About 40 vendors exited the Discount Mall on 26th Street in March of 2023. Within a month, it was announced that a verbal agreement had been made for them to occupy the old Kmart Building at 51st Street and Kedzie Avenue in Gage Park.
It wasn’t until just a few weeks ago that the stores at the new Discount Mall at 5050 South Kedzie Avenue held a Grand Opening.
“Right now it has been kind of slow because I don’t think people know that we are open,” one vendor said.
The owner of Viva Fashion, Angela, said she was a vendor at the old Discount Mall for 26 years.
This new Discount Mall on Kedzie Avenue has about 40 vendors, with many more expected to join. Those now selling their wares catered toward a Mexican-American clientele say it has been kind of slow this holiday season.