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It's The End For The Alley

(CBS) -- It's funeral time – literally – for a longtime North Side business.

CBS 2's Brad Edwards pays a visit to The Alley.

"We became an alternative lifestyle department store," owner Mark Thomas says of the business at Clark and Belmont that started as a head shop.

He adds: "I'm just exhausted. It's 44 years later."

Also prompting the decision to close is the neighborhood's changing face. Thomas is not a fan of redevelopment plans to build a Target store next to his building.

So, in Alley fashion, he'll hold a funeral with a hearse and a coffin Saturday night.

Festivities begin at 9 pm. Thomas may launch a different store in another Chicago neighborhood after he spends some time traveling.

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