CHICAGO — The 25th alderman led a group of vendors to Novak Construction, demanding a new agreement to avoid them from being evicted from the Little Village discount mall.

The caravan included street vendors as well as those who rent from the discount mall in Little Village.

In February, some vendors were given until March 26 to move out of the mall but now many say they were given until the end of March.

Vendors say they were told by P K Mall management to liquidate their merchandise after a proposed rent increase in the lease renewal offer was found to be unreasonable and unsustainable.

Novak Construction is planning renovations that will include new building facades, roofs, a new surface parking lot and new lighting.

The 25th Ward alderman spoke outside of the discount mall before the caravan took off, saying developers plan to put a ross store in the shopping plaza will take away jobs from the community.

“To shut down half of the businesses in this discount mall is unacceptable,” Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez said.

WGN reached out to Novak Construction for comment but have yet to hear a response.

Alderman Sigcho-Lopez says the new development will bring maybe a dozen jobs to replace the 500 jobs and 150 businesses that have previously thrived in the mall.

“That is what economic development is for these greedy developers who have no respect for the immigrant community,” Sigcho-Lopez said.