City In Review: Chicago

Lincoln Square · Then vs Now

Lincoln Square: 2024-10 vs 2025-10

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

2024-10 2025-10 Change
Building permits 45 80 +78%
Construction value ($) $15,646,766 $5,771,821 -63%
New business licenses 26 19 -27%
Business closings (proxy) 0 0
311 service requests 957 954 -0%
Reported crimes 206 192 -7%
Violent crimes 45 46 +2%
Failed food inspections 7 6 -14%

2024-10

Lincoln Square permit value jumps to $15.6M

Lincoln Square's permit value shot up 404% in October, hitting $15.6 million versus $3.1 million the month before. The count barely budged—45 permits versus 44—so a handful of big-ticket projects drove the spike. Express permits led volume at 26, followed by 14 renovations and 3 new construction jobs. No new businesses opened, none closed, and service request data wasn't in the pipeline this month.

2025-10

Lincoln Square logs $5.8M in permits, led by express program

Eighty permits landed in October, nearly double September's 44, with a combined value of $5.8 million. Forty-three came through the express program; signs and renovation work tied for second at 13 apiece. Service requests fell 19% to 954—graffiti removal topped the list at 135 calls, followed by rodent complaints at 76. Crime held steady at 192 incidents. Six restaurants failed inspections, up from five.

New businesses — 2024-10

  • CHICAGO BASEBALL CLUB (Children's Services Facility License)
  • TS OASIS NAILS (Limited Business License)
  • TOP BARBER (Limited Business License)
  • APACHE MOTEL (Regulated Business License)
  • Metro by t-mobile (Limited Business License)
  • BETTY[S NAIL AND SPA (Limited Business License)
  • BAYAN KO (Retail Food Establishment)
  • LA AMISTAD INC. (Retail Food Establishment)
  • XOCHIMILCO MEXICAN RESTAURANT (Retail Food Establishment)
  • MY CORNER OFFICE (Limited Business License)

New businesses — 2025-10

  • MOLASSES (Limited Business License)
  • DREAMERS YOLO! (Public Place of Amusement (PAV))
  • Atelier Restaurant (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
  • PASTAFI (Retail Food Establishment)
  • BAD LUCK CLUB, LLC (Limited Business License)
  • KRINGLE BROTHERS LLC (Pop-Up Retail User)
  • Flawless Nails Spa (Limited Business License)
  • CORY FOWKES PRODUCTIONS LLC (Regulated Business License)
  • Sweet Moon (Retail Food Establishment)
  • FIX YOUR KICKS (Limited Business License)