City In Review: Chicago

Kenwood · Then vs Now

Kenwood: 2025-02 vs 2026-02

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

2025-02 2026-02 Change
Building permits 12 22 +83%
Construction value ($) $2,367,172 $14,930,453 +531%
New business licenses 4 1 -75%
Business closings (proxy) 0 0
311 service requests 220 236 +7%
Reported crimes 116 130 +12%
Violent crimes 31 37 +19%
Failed food inspections 0 1 +1

2025-02

Kenwood permits double to 12, hit $2.4M

Kenwood issued 12 permits in February, up from six the month before, with total value climbing 47% to $2.37 million. Five came through the express program, five were renovation jobs. The neighborhood fielded 220 service requests, down 29% from January's 308—potholes, streetlight outages, and graffiti calls led the way. Violent crime dropped 30% to 31 incidents. No new businesses registered and none closed.

2026-02

Kenwood permits jump to $14.9M on major project

Permit value in Kenwood shot up 3,400% in February, hitting $14.9 million—up from $427k the month before. The 22 permits included 14 through the express program and six renovations or alterations. One new business opened: O'Reilly Auto Parts #3368. Service requests dropped 19%, led by 29 pothole complaints. Violent crime fell a quarter, from 49 incidents to 37. One food establishment failed inspection.

New businesses — 2025-02

  • AFO TECHNOLOGY GROUP, LLC (Regulated Business License)
  • Everyhome Furniture Inc. (Limited Business License)
  • CLEO'S FRIED CHICKEN / KRISTEN ASHLEY HARPER (Shared Kitchen User (Long Term))
  • CJ CONTRACTORS, INC. (Regulated Business License)

New businesses — 2026-02

  • O'REILLY AUTO PARTS #3368 (Limited Business License)