Loop · Then vs Now
Loop: 2025-05 vs 2026-05
A side-by-side look at how Loop shifted between two periods.
| 2025-05 | 2026-05 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permits | 245 | 0 | -100% |
| Construction value ($) | $163,183,157 | $0 | -100% |
| New business licenses | 186 | 24 | -87% |
| Business closings (proxy) | 0 | 0 | — |
| 311 service requests | 1,061 | 0 | -100% |
| Reported crimes | 692 | 0 | -100% |
| Violent crimes | 139 | 0 | -100% |
| Failed food inspections | 18 | 0 | -100% |
2025-05
Loop permit value hits $163M, up 62%
The Loop pulled 245 permits in May, down 12% from April, but their combined value hit $163 million—a 62% jump. Most of that growth came through 152 express permits, the fast-track path for smaller commercial work. Renovation permits ranked second with 41, followed by signs and new construction tied at 18 each. Elevator work rounded out the top five with 16 permits. No new business licenses or closures showed up in the data this month.
2026-05
Loop data shows zeros across permits, 311, crime
The Loop's May figures look incomplete. Building permits dropped from 82 to zero. New business licenses fell from 329 to 24—a 93% plunge. Service requests, crimes, and food inspections all reported zero activity, which doesn't match reality for a downtown core. The 24 licenses that did appear include Poke Burrito, Big Shoulders Coffee, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, and Walker Consultants. These numbers likely reflect a data gap, not an actual quiet month.
New businesses — 2025-05
- Orchard First Source Capital, Inc (Limited Business License)
- TOAST OF CHICAGO HAIRE'S GULF SHRIMP (Special Event Food)
- UNI UNI DOWNTOWN (Retail Food Establishment)
- Daylight L3C (Limited Business License)
- CHICAGO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
- CHICAGO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (Public Place of Amusement)
- CHICAGO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (Public Place of Amusement)
- CHICAGO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
- CHICAGO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (Outdoor Patio)
- CHICAGO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
New businesses — 2026-05
- SIMPSON GUMPERTZ & HEGER, INC. (Limited Business License)
- POKE BURRITO (Retail Food Establishment)
- Walker Consultants, Inc (Limited Business License)
- PLS Investment Property of Illinois (Limited Business License)
- Hard Hat Hub LLC DBA BuiltWorls (Limited Business License)
- ANTHROPOLOGIE #533 (Limited Business License)
- Core Erectors IL LLC (Limited Business License)
- BIG SHOULDERS COFFEE (Retail Food Establishment)
- REGAL BUSINESS MACHINES (Limited Business License)
- GAVIN BUJDEI (Regulated Business License)