City In Review: Chicago

Douglas · Then vs Now

Douglas: 2025-01 vs 2026-01

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

2025-01 2026-01 Change
Building permits 9 7 -22%
Construction value ($) $598,742 $220,000 -63%
New business licenses 14 6 -57%
Business closings (proxy) 0 0
311 service requests 182 282 +55%
Reported crimes 218 255 +17%
Violent crimes 78 64 -18%
Failed food inspections 0 0

2025-01

Douglas permit value drops 83% despite nine approvals

Douglas issued nine permits in January—up from five in December—but their combined value fell 83% to $599k from the prior month's $3.5 million. All nine were express permits, suggesting smaller-scope work. Service requests ticked up 8% to 182, led by 24 complaints about street lights and 22 about traffic signals. Crime dipped slightly to 218 incidents; violent offenses held flat at 78. No new businesses opened or closed. No food inspections failed.

2026-01

Douglas permit value drops 96% to $220k

Permit activity in Douglas cratered in January—just seven permits totaling $220,000, down from $6.3 million the month before. Express permits led the way with four, but nothing big-ticket landed. On the business side, five new licenses came through: a Culver's franchise called Barwall Corporation (trading as Culver's of Chicago - Bronzeville), Bronzeville Animal Clinic, a pharma outfit named Kashiv Pharma, and two others. Crime ticked up 7% to 255 incidents, though violent offenses barely moved. Service requests fell slightly to 282, with traffic signals and streetlights accounting for the most calls.

New businesses — 2025-01

  • SHARKS FISH & CHICKEN (Retail Food Establishment)
  • A' NU SALON & SPA (Limited Business License)
  • FEDEX OFFICE AND PRINT SVCS, INC. (Limited Business License)
  • KEYBOARD DEVELOP, INC. (Limited Business License)
  • THE RENAISSANCE APARTMENTS (Regulated Business License)
  • THE RENAISSANCE COLLABORATIVE, INC. (Regulated Business License)
  • ALLANS FLORAL EMPORIUM (Limited Business License)
  • YASSA AFRICAN RESTAURANT INC. (Retail Food Establishment)
  • W. HIDEAWAY LOUNGE (Tavern)
  • COSMO BEAUTY (Limited Business License)

New businesses — 2026-01

  • TECHNIC JANITORIAL SERVICES, LLC (Limited Business License)
  • FAM ENTERTAINMENT (Public Place of Amusement (PAV))
  • KASHIV PHARMA , LLC (Manufacturing Establishments)
  • BARWALL CORPORATION/CULVER'S OF CHICAGO - BRONZEVILLE (Retail Food Establishment)
  • BRONZEVILLE ANIMAL CLINIC (Animal Care License)
  • K1 SEMICONDUCTOR (Manufacturing Establishments)