City In Review: Chicago

Armour Square · Then vs Now

Armour Square: 2024-04 vs 2025-04

A side-by-side look at how Armour Square shifted between two periods.

2024-04 2025-04 Change
Building permits 3 16 +433%
Construction value ($) $516,310 $2,011,469 +290%
New business licenses 16 13 -19%
Business closings (proxy) 0 0
311 service requests 360 288 -20%
Reported crimes 82 80 -2%
Violent crimes 28 32 +14%
Failed food inspections 9 6 -33%

2024-04

Armour Square sees $516k in new construction permits

Three permits totaling $516,310 landed in Armour Square in April. Two were for new construction, one for elevator equipment. Everything else in the dataset—new businesses, closures, service requests, crimes, food fails—came back zero. The construction dollar figure is the only number that moved.

2025-04

Armour Square permit value rockets to $2 million

Sixteen permits in April totaled $2 million, up from $157k the month before—a thirteenfold jump. Seven were express permits, six for signs. No new businesses opened or closed. Service requests fell 17% to 288, with graffiti removal topping the list at 48 calls. Crime dropped 18% to 80 incidents. Food inspection failures doubled from three to six, though both numbers are small. Rodent baiting requests (27) and tree planting requests (21) rounded out the top 311 categories.

New businesses — 2024-04

  • Power Racing Series (Pop-Up Retail User)
  • CONNIE'S PIZZA (Special Event Food)
  • CARBON (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
  • CARBON (Outdoor Patio)
  • CARBON (Retail Food Establishment)
  • NINE GARDEN (Retail Food Establishment)
  • CHICAGO CHINATOWN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (Pop-Up Retail User)
  • CENTRAL EAST ASIAN CUISINE (Retail Food Establishment)
  • 3 Sauces (Retail Food Establishment)
  • PARK TO SHOP SUPERMARKET (Retail Food Establishment)

New businesses — 2025-04

  • CHUBBY CATTLE CHICAGO (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
  • AUTEA SWEETS & EATS (Retail Food Establishment)
  • SAINT'S ALP TEAHOUSE AND GOURMET (Retail Food Establishment)
  • BANY INTERNATIONAL INC (Limited Business License)
  • JIE SNACK HOUSE INC. (Retail Food Establishment)
  • WA! KAOYU (Retail Food Establishment)
  • PARTEA (Retail Food Establishment)
  • JING DING SPA (Regulated Business License)
  • LEGEND DUMPLING & BAO (Retail Food Establishment)
  • XIAO LING LONG (Limited Business License)