City In Review: Chicago

Lincoln Park · Then vs Now

Lincoln Park: 2024-05 vs 2025-05

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

2024-05 2025-05 Change
Building permits 84 76 -10%
Construction value ($) $17,996,121 $5,178,886 -71%
New business licenses 68 79 +16%
Business closings (proxy) 0 0
311 service requests 1,895 1,946 +3%
Reported crimes 387 314 -19%
Violent crimes 69 48 -30%
Failed food inspections 9 10 +11%

2024-05

Lincoln Park permits double but total value drops 81%

Lincoln Park issued 84 permits in May, double April's count, but their combined value fell from $97 million to $18 million—an 81% drop that suggests the previous month included one or two enormous projects. Most of the new permits were express jobs (40) or renovations (20). Crime rose 26%, with violent incidents up 38% to 69. Service requests ticked up 5%, led by 205 graffiti removal calls. Food inspection failures dropped by nearly half.

2025-05

Lincoln Park permit value crashes 81% in May

Permit value dropped from $27.8 million in April to $5.2 million—a dive of 81%. Volume fell to 76 permits, down 29%. Express permits (44) and sign permits (15) led the pack. On the 311 side, graffiti complaints hit 351, the top category by far; overall service requests rose 15%. Violent crime climbed 17% to 48 incidents, though total crime stayed nearly flat. Ten restaurants failed inspections. No new businesses opened.

New businesses — 2024-05

  • PURE BARRE LINCOLN PARK (Regulated Business License)
  • THE ONE (Limited Business License)
  • Barnes & Noble Booksellers Inc (Limited Business License)
  • HONORE WICKER PARK (Pop-Up Retail User)
  • Soft Bites (Retail Food Establishment)
  • HONORE WICKER PARK (Pop-Up Retail User)
  • CHIP CITY (Retail Food Establishment)
  • North Buena Deli & Wine (Package Goods)
  • PROPER PIZZA CHICAGO, INC. (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
  • ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX GREEK CHURCH (Special Event Food)

New businesses — 2025-05

  • PAWS CHICAGO (Pop-Up Retail User)
  • REJUVEN8 (Limited Business License)
  • STRINGS RAMEN (Retail Food Establishment)
  • TANDOOR CHAR HOUSE (Special Event Food)
  • Katherine DeLacey (Shared Housing Unit Operator)
  • CHAROEN KRUNG BY SATHORN (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
  • OLD TOWN TRIANGLE ASSOCIATION (Pop-Up Retail User)
  • Abercrombie & Fitch # 11187 (Limited Business License)
  • S.K.Y. (Retail Food Establishment)
  • S.K.Y. (Outdoor Patio)