Eviction:

Amid the racks of clothing, shelves of trinkets and walls of antique photos, Karen Cherrington glances around her vintage clothing store, Material Plane, 108 1/2 E. Kirkwood Ave.\n“I’ve been in this building for 20 years,” Cherrington said. “I wish I could stay longer, and I don’t think (the owners) realized that I’d been here that long.”\nCherrington is one of several business owners being evicted from her shop within Kirkwood’s Oddfellows building so that a private contractor can build apartment complexes in the space. She plans to relocate her store to the space occupied by Cherry Canary, 214 W. Fourth St., a vintage clothing store owned by her daughter, Cassandra Slone.\n“My daughter was looking for a way out of her lease since it was so expensive, and I needed a place to move to,” Cherrington said. “But the rent there will be twice as much, so I don’t know how that will turn out.”\nMaterial Plane is expected to be moved out by mid-April and into the new space by the first week of May. \n“Right now, both Material Plane and Cherry Canary are having half-price sales to cut down on all the things we’ll have to move out,” Cherrington said.\nThe city of Bloomington claims no involvement in the process of redeveloping the Oddfellows building. Director of Economic Development Danise Alano said the city takes great interest in protecting small local businesses in Bloomington.\n“This was a private transaction between a private seller and a private buyer. The city has no involvement, other than reviewing the development proposal,” she said. “It’s a misconception that the city is out to close local businesses. (Bloomington) is not in the business to close its stores.”\nBut business owners still have their doubts. \n“Kirkwood’s all going to be changed and the rent will be so expensive,” Cherrington said. “I don’t know who will be able to have stores here anymore. It’s the yuppification of Bloomington.”\nCherrington’s downstairs neighbor, Merribeth Fender, is also disappointment about having to move. Fender, who co-owns the gift shop Athena, said she would have to move out by March 28 and moved into her new space by the first week of April.\n“I had been looking for a new place to relocate anyways, and a few days after I had purchased our new shop, I was informed that I had to be out by the end of March,” Fender said.\nStill, after 14 years of business in the Oddfellows building, Fender is as melancholy as Cherrington.\n“They’re going to tear down the entire block next to us, where Ladyman’s was,” Fender said. “We’re very fortunate that at least they won’t tear this building down.”\nLadyman’s Cafe closed in December after the Heartland Development Group announced plans to build a parking garage in the area.\nCherrington said she had asked for an extension on her lease but was denied because of incoming construction workers.\n“We all knew that this move was coming,” Cherrington said. “We just didn’t think it would be so soon.”