City In Review: Chicago

Armour Square · Then vs Now

Armour Square: 2025-01 vs 2026-01

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

2025-01 2026-01 Change
Building permits 10 11 +10%
Construction value ($) $1,083,500 $18,261,094 +1585%
New business licenses 13 15 +15%
Business closings (proxy) 0 0
311 service requests 328 373 +14%
Reported crimes 76 88 +16%
Violent crimes 21 20 -5%
Failed food inspections 10 6 -40%

2025-01

Graffiti removal leads 328 service requests

Armour Square fielded 328 service requests in January, up 43% from the previous month. Graffiti removal accounted for 129 of them—nearly 40% of the total. Street light complaints (36) and rodent baiting calls (25) followed. Permits doubled to 10, with total work valued at $1.08 million. Five were express permits. Violent crime climbed from 16 to 21 incidents. Ten restaurants failed inspection, up from six.

2026-01

Armour Square permit value hits $18.3M on two new construction filings

Armour Square logged $18.3 million in permit value in January, up from $62k the month before—a 29,449% jump on 11 permits total, including two new construction filings. Fifteen businesses opened: Wentworth Seafood House, Hunan Bistro, Te'amo Boba Bar, and Legend Tasty House among them. Service requests climbed 2% to 373, led by 89 graffiti removal calls. Violent crime dropped 29% to 20 incidents; overall crime fell 6% to 88. Food inspection failures went from two to six.

New businesses — 2025-01

  • CBCAC (Raffles)
  • Fanatics Retail Group Concessions, LLC (Limited Business License)
  • No. 18 Karaoke (Retail Food Establishment)
  • No. 18 Karaoke (Public Place of Amusement)
  • No. 18 Karaoke (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
  • JIANG NIU BBQ HOUSE (Retail Food Establishment)
  • ASIAN IMAGE INC. (Limited Business License)
  • SEA CUCUMBER CITY (Retail Food Establishment)
  • Xiaolongkan (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
  • ASIAN IMAGE INC. (Limited Business License)

New businesses — 2026-01

  • NT ACCOUNTING SERVICES INC. (Limited Business License)
  • HERB STONE (Limited Business License)
  • WENTWORTH SEAFOOD HOUSE (Retail Food Establishment)
  • HUNAN BISTRO (Retail Food Establishment)
  • WINTIME & CO. (Limited Business License)
  • Muen Yee (Shared Housing Unit Operator)
  • THE NOODLE VIETNAMESE CUISINE (Retail Food Establishment)
  • TE'AMO BOBA BAR (Retail Food Establishment)
  • LEGEND TASTY HOUSE (Retail Food Establishment)
  • CARLOS TAILOR SHOP (Regulated Business License)