City In Review: Chicago

East Side · Then vs Now

East Side: 2025-02 vs 2026-02

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

2025-02 2026-02 Change
Building permits 14 5 -64%
Construction value ($) $1,524,634 $69,287 -95%
New business licenses 5 2 -60%
Business closings (proxy) 0 0
311 service requests 567 475 -16%
Reported crimes 82 81 -1%
Violent crimes 30 19 -37%
Failed food inspections 2 1 -50%

2025-02

East Side permit value hits $1.5M on 14 filings

Fourteen permits pulled in February matched January's count, but their combined value shot up from $409k to $1.5 million. Eleven were express permits; three covered renovations or alterations. Service requests ticked up 3% to 567, led by 152 tree-trim requests (a category the city no longer accepts) and 68 abandoned-vehicle complaints. Crime fell 21% overall to 82 incidents, though violent offenses edged up from 28 to 30. Two restaurants failed inspections, down from three the month prior.

2026-02

East Side crime jumps to 81 reports in February

Crime reports in East Side climbed from 48 to 81 in February, a 69% jump. Violent offenses ticked up slightly from 18 to 19. Meanwhile, 311 calls spiked 62% to 475. Tree-trim requests led with 52 calls, followed by 46 abandoned-vehicle complaints and 44 street-light-outs. Permit activity slid the other way: only five permits pulled, down from six, and their combined value dropped 84% to roughly $69k. Two new businesses opened—O'Reilly Auto Parts #4383 and Grace Tax Professionals—down from six in January. One food establishment failed an inspection.

New businesses — 2025-02

  • BLUE KANGAROO INC (Regulated Business License)
  • CHAMPYON TAE KWON DO USA (Children's Services Facility License)
  • MAR & SUCHII (Retail Food Establishment)
  • Taqueria El Charro De San Francisco (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
  • Starting LineUp (Limited Business License)

New businesses — 2026-02

  • O'REILLY AUTO PARTS #4383 (Limited Business License)
  • GRACE TAX PROFESSIONALS (Limited Business License)