Little Village Plaza has been a dated, yet important shopping center, for the Little Village neighborhood and its predominantly Mexican population. Built over time, it was a jumbled mixture of buildings, architectural styles, and tenants. Novak Development purchased the center in 2019 with the intention of giving it a significant facelift and a fresh mix of retail and service tenants. Certain tenants like Walgreen’s and Esperanza Health Center needed to remain. Others, like La Baguette Bakery, needed to relocate. Central to the plan was the the ability to keep and relocate the Little Village Discount Mall, a beloved and important small-vendor space that rents stalls for the local population to sell their products at an economical cost, playing on the traditions of the central Mexican Marketplace found in most towns and villages. New construction for a bank and restaurant provides a fresh look along 26th Street adjacent to the Little Village Arch which symbolizes the neighborhood. Additionally, the entire parking lot is being improved with an updated layout, landscaping, and lighting. The new design organizes the retail building using simple, colorful frames of stucco, reminiscent of both traditional Mexican markets and modern Mexican architecture. Large archways of perforated metal and steel mark the entrances at 26th and 27th Street. The bold colors, (blue, orange, red, yellow, green, and pink) give each tenant its own identity while the consistency in form gives the center an overall coherent look.
