City In Review: Chicago

Grand Boulevard · Then vs Now

Grand Boulevard: 2024-08 vs 2025-08

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

2024-08 2025-08 Change
Building permits 25 26 +4%
Construction value ($) $11,460,604 $5,282,295 -54%
New business licenses 14 4 -71%
Business closings (proxy) 0 0
311 service requests 688 871 +27%
Reported crimes 407 297 -27%
Violent crimes 102 88 -14%
Failed food inspections 3 1 -67%

2024-08

Grand Boulevard permit value jumps 78% on $11.5M total

Permit value in Grand Boulevard nearly doubled in August, hitting $11.5 million versus $6.4 million the month before. The 25 permits pulled leaned heavily on the express program—13 of them—with another five for renovations and four for new construction. Business licenses and service requests? Zero on both counts. A curiously quiet administrative month aside from the construction dollar spike.

2025-08

Grand Boulevard permit spending triples to $5.3 million

Grand Boulevard logged $5.3 million in permit value in August, triple the prior month's $1.76 million. The 26 permits included four for new construction and six for renovation work. Express permits accounted for 16 of the filings. Service requests climbed 11.5% to 871, led by 155 tree trim requests (a category the city no longer accepts). Street light complaints and graffiti removal calls followed. Violent crime ticked up 6% to 88 incidents, while overall crime dipped slightly. One food inspection failed.

New businesses — 2024-08

  • MOORE POPPIN (Special Event Food)
  • SPACE WORLD CHANNEL (Regulated Business License)
  • T-T NAILS (Limited Business License)
  • The Kut Barbershop (Limited Business License)
  • ANDREW J MITCHELL (Peddler License)
  • Nappa Car Wash (Limited Business License)
  • Razor's Edge Salon II Inc (Limited Business License)
  • STEPS, INC. CONSULTING (Limited Business License)
  • Girls Inc. of Chicago (Raffles)
  • TWISTED DOUGH (Retail Food Establishment)

New businesses — 2025-08

  • Girls Inc. of Chicago (Raffles)
  • THEODORE AARON / AARON'S PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT SERVICES (Regulated Business License)
  • THEODORE AARON / AARON'S PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT SERVICES (Peddler License)
  • Alice's Bar B Que (Retail Food Establishment)