City In Review: Chicago

North Center · Then vs Now

North Center: 2024-05 vs 2025-05

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

2024-05 2025-05 Change
Building permits 53 49 -8%
Construction value ($) $2,150,838 $5,068,533 +136%
New business licenses 43 41 -5%
Business closings (proxy) 0 0
311 service requests 1,330 1,110 -17%
Reported crimes 131 90 -31%
Violent crimes 22 19 -14%
Failed food inspections 3 2 -33%

2024-05

North Center permits jump to 53, led by express work

Permits quadrupled in May — 53 versus 11 the month prior — pushing total construction value to $2.15 million, up 62 percent. More than half were express permits, the kind that skip full review for minor jobs. The neighborhood also fielded 127 tree debris clean-up requests and 99 tree emergencies, numbers that suggest storm damage or spring wind. Service requests rose 22 percent overall. Crime climbed 28 percent to 131 incidents; violent offenses ticked up from 18 to 22. No businesses opened or closed, and food inspection failures held steady at three.

2025-05

North Center permit value drops by half

North Center pulled 49 permits in May, up five from April, but the total dollar value fell 48% to about $5.1 million. Express permits led the way with 28, followed by 13 renovation or alteration jobs. A couple of wrecking permits and two new construction filings rounded out the month. No new business licenses showed up in the data.

New businesses — 2024-05

  • AMANO BISTRO (Retail Food Establishment)
  • MUSIC AND COMPANY (Children's Services Facility License)
  • The Gardner School of North Center (Children's Services Facility License)
  • ASTOUND BROADBAND (Limited Business License)
  • ENVIRONMENTAL FUTURES INC (Limited Business License)
  • BLUELIGHT (Tavern)
  • BLUELIGHT (Retail Food Establishment)
  • WALGREENS #2586 (Tobacco)
  • WALGREENS #259 (Tobacco)
  • TOP FEET (Limited Business License)

New businesses — 2025-05

  • CHICAGO SPECIAL EVENTS MANAGEMENT (Pop-Up Retail User)
  • METROPOL GRILL AND SALOON (Retail Food Establishment)
  • BARTOLI'S PIZZERIA CORP (Special Event Food)
  • Rosati's Pizza - Roscoe Village (Retail Food Establishment)
  • DOVETAIL BREWERY (Pop-Up Retail User)
  • BRADLEY SPORTS CENTER (Regulated Business License)
  • HAZE CREATIVE, LLC (Limited Business License)
  • Collette Manning (Shared Housing Unit Operator)
  • WALGREENS #2586 (Tobacco)
  • ANDREA STURM (Peddler License)