Loop · Then vs Now
Loop: 2025-04 vs 2026-04
A side-by-side look at how Loop shifted between two periods.
| 2025-04 | 2026-04 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permits | 280 | 190 | -32% |
| Construction value ($) | $100,851,426 | $490,530,004 | +386% |
| New business licenses | 149 | 329 | +121% |
| Business closings (proxy) | 0 | 0 | — |
| 311 service requests | 805 | 1,050 | +30% |
| Reported crimes | 633 | 400 | -37% |
| Violent crimes | 113 | 82 | -27% |
| Failed food inspections | 1 | 7 | +600% |
2025-04
Loop permits jump 66% on express program surge
Loop issued 280 permits in April, up 66% from March, with 208 of them through the express permit program. Total construction value hit $101 million, a 35% increase. Renovation and alteration work accounted for 37 permits, while elevator equipment drew 14. New construction permits numbered 12. No new business licenses or closures appeared in the data this month.
2026-04
Loop crime drops 43% while new businesses jump
Crime in the Loop fell sharply in April, from 696 incidents to 400. Violent crime dropped by more than half, from 179 to 82. New business licenses jumped 69%, hitting 329—among them Manny Jewelry & Design, Ativo Capital Management, and The Cliff Dwellers, a not-for-profit club that also registered as a retail food establishment. Building permits fell 6% to 190, with express permits leading the way at 107. Total permit value dropped 32% to $491 million. Residents filed 1,050 service requests, up 2%. Graffiti removal topped the list with 247 calls, followed by 168 pothole complaints.
New businesses — 2025-04
- Seeskin Law LLC (Limited Business License)
- STERLING FOOD HALL (Food - Shared Kitchen - Supplemental)
- Office of Modern Composition LLC (Limited Business License)
- MOMENTO CANTINA (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
- Cooper Coleman LLC (Limited Business License)
- MOMENTO CANTINA (Public Place of Amusement)
- MARBLE BOX (Limited Business License)
- RGP (Limited Business License)
- COCOBAR (Special Event Food)
- LA CATEDRAL CAFE & RESTAURANT (Retail Food Establishment)
New businesses — 2026-04
- INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, INC. (Limited Business License)
- MANNY JEWELRY & DESIGN (Limited Business License)
- Ativo Capital Management, LLC (Limited Business License)
- THE CLIFF DWELLERS (Not-For-Profit Club)
- THE CLIFF DWELLERS (Retail Food Establishment)
- JAS DIAMONDS, INC (Limited Business License)
- CHICAGO DIAMOND EXPERTS, INC. (Limited Business License)
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Retail Food Establishment)
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Raffles)