A vote will be held next week to determine the future of an over 100-year-old building in the Southwest suburbs.
The Art Deco-style Jackson Square Antique Mall sits at 112 E. Burlington in La Grange.
On Monday, January 12, at 7:30 p.m., village trustees will consider a controversial proposal to demolish the historic mall and replace it with a condominium development.
"More than 70 small business owners that are vendors will be displaced," says Mandy Levy, a resident and vendor at Jackson Square Mall.
"Le Grange will be losing a bustling commercial destination that's been beloved by all Chicagoland for decades."
An online petition named "Save Jackson Square" has garnered nearly two-thousand signatures, with supporters calling the mall a staple of the community.
"Saving this storefront will continue to add to the legacy and historic value of LaGrange. It would be heartbreaking to see more unnecessary luxury condos in place of a such an important resource for LaGrange residents," wrote one commenter.
Levy, meantime, has taken several steps to inform her neighbors about the proposal, including starting a website, SaveJacksonSquare.com, putting up flyers, even taping business cards with QR codes to Halloween candy.
"Our town has seen many small businesses close over the years, and this one is going to hurt," she said.