As someone who has spent a few rainy Saturday afternoons perusing the antiques in the Sligh building, I can understand people wanting to save that experience.

The Sligh Furniture Building campus occupies the land between Wealthy and Logan on Century Avenue SW. The main Sligh Furniture building has been home to three large antique stores for years. Now those stores may be in jeopardy.

The City of Grand Rapids recently announced that Sturgeon Bay Holdings of Detroit plans to erect two new buildings on the block, with plans for both residential and commercial use, plus a courtyard and additional public space.

Included in the deal is the Sligh Furniture main building and the antique stores that use the main floor along Century.

To that end, the antique stores and their fans have started a "Save The Sligh" Facebook page to make their point of view known as the development moves for ward.

The page has already taken to task the Detroit developers intent to include 'affordable housing' in the plan, saying only about 10% of the development will be affordable.

While no plans to dismantle the antique stores have been announced yet, owners in the building can see the writing on the wall.

Mark Miller of Lost and Found Antiques told WOOD-TV 8:

“What we’ve read so far is that there’s 20,000 square feet dedicated to retail, and I occupy 50,000 square feet myself.”

Mary Beth Schutt, who owns Wearhouse One Antiques added, “We don’t want to move; we love it here, and everybody loves to come here that’s in Grand Rapids and knows about us, and we draw from all other states even.”

Here's hoping that in the rush to reinvigorate older neighborhoods in the city, we don't lose sight of the fact that hard working folks have kept those neighborhoods going when no one else would. They deserve a fair shake.

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