A Starbucks is under construction in Little Village on Sept. 12, 2024. (WTTW News)

A Starbucks is set to open at the Little Village Plaza — an area once filled with local vendors and businesses before it was sold to developers. Some residents said this is just the beginning of what will lead to gentrification, while others said the community should embrace the investment.

Community members and city officials gathered underneath the Little Village Arch on Sept. 11, 2024 to celebrate its restoration. (WTTW News)

The Little Village Arch was built in 1990 by Mexican American Vietnam War veterans Ronald Baltierra and David Ramirez and was designed by Mexican architect Adrián Lozan. The Chicago Department of Transportation undertook a $1.25 million project to restore the archway following its designation as an official city landmark.

The Apollo’s 2000 Theater in Little Village is being designated a Chicago landmark. (WTTW News)

Javier Galindo and Lidia Galindo Corral have welcomed artists from all over the world to the Apollo’s 2000 Theater in Little Village for nearly 35 years. The building is now being designated a Chicago landmark.

A still image from a video taken of the demolition of the Crawford Coal Plant smokestack, April 11, 2020. (Courtesy of Alejandro Reyes)

“At the end of the day, it’s about respect for this community — the immigrant, Mexican community of Little Village, and it’s about justice,” attorney Scott Rauscher said.

A photo inside the Environmental Defense Fund “Illinois Warehouse Boom” report shows an aerial view of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. A warehouse sits alongside a residential area. (Courtesy of Little Village Environmental Justice Organization)
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New bill would give Illinois EPA greater oversight

Black and Brown communities in Illinois are up to 200% more likely to live near a distribution warehouse than the overall statewide population, according to a new report by the Environmental Defense Fund on the state’s “warehouse boom.”

A still image from a video taken of the demolition of the Crawford Coal Plant smokestack, April 11, 2020. (Alejandro Reyes / YouTube)
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During the more than hourlong confirmation hearing, Marlene Hopkins was not asked about what she did as the top official from the city’s Buildings Department charged with overseeing the implosion of the smokestack at the former Crawford Power Plant in Little Village.

Inside Good Shepherd Church in Little Village. (WTTW News)

On Friday, many Catholics will gather for the annual Stations of the Cross ceremony to mark Good Friday ahead of Sunday’s Easter holiday.

A still image from a video taken of the demolition of the Crawford Coal Plant smokestack, April 11, 2020. (Alejandro Reyes / YouTube)
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Mayor Brandon Johnson nominated Marlene Hopkins to permanently replace former Buildings Commissioner Matthew Beaudet, whom Johnson fired last month. Hopkins’ nomination must be confirmed by the Chicago City Council.

(WTTW News)

The program was launched in 2023 with an aim to uplift and preserve cultural communities throughout Illinois. The districts are eligible to apply for some of the $3 million in available funding to help stimulate economic development in those areas.

A still image from a video taken of the demolition of the Crawford Coal Plant smokestack, April 11, 2020. (Alejandro Reyes / YouTube)

In April 2020, a smokestack implosion in Little Village blanketed the community in dust, endangering the health of residents during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, eligible Little Village residents have until March 26 to file claims for compensation.

Breaking ground at the site of Xquina Incubator & Café on Dec. 5, 2023. (Provided)

Little Village is known for its business corridor and its Latino entrepreneurship. A space coming to the heart of the neighborhood is designed to help those without access to resources kickstart a business.

A customer makes a purchase from a Little Village food truck vendor. (WTTW News)

Multiple vendors in Little Village say they have been robbed at gunpoint despite efforts to protect them. The latest victims are food truck workers.

The holiday celebration at Little Village Academy was hosted by the faith-based nonprofit New Life Centers, in partnership with other local nonprofits, corporate sponsors and elected officials. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)

The holiday celebration hosted by New Life Centers involved a gift and free jacket giveaway, food, music and children’s character mascots.

2021 Holiday Posada in Little Village. (Courtesy of Little Village Chamber of Commerce)

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, when you spend $100 at a small business, $48 stays in the community versus when you spend the same $100 at a big-box store or national retailer, only $14 stays.

A still image from a video taken of the demolition of the Crawford Coal Plant smokestack, April 11, 2020. (Alejandro Reyes / YouTube)

Dave Graham, who a watchdog report said should be fired for “willful bureaucratic negligence” in the 2020 incident that covered Little Village in dust, is now in charge of environmental inspections and enforcement.

The vacant fire station in Little Village set to be transformed by the National Museum of Mexican Art. (WTTW News)

If approved by the Chicago City Council, the National Museum of Mexican Art will acquire the building at 2358 S. Whipple St. It would be used by Yollocalli Arts Reach, an initiative of the museum aimed at providing arts and culture programming to teens and young adults.