City In Review: Chicago

Oakland · Then vs Now

Oakland: 2025-04 vs 2026-04

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

2025-04 2026-04 Change
Building permits 2 2 0%
Construction value ($) $207,500 $700,000 +237%
New business licenses 1 0 -100%
Business closings (proxy) 0 0
311 service requests 142 108 -24%
Reported crimes 63 34 -46%
Violent crimes 22 12 -45%
Failed food inspections 0 0

2025-04

Oakland permit value drops 80% to $208k

Oakland pulled just two permits in April, down from seven the month before, and their combined value fell 80% to about $208,000. One was an express permit, the other a renovation. No new businesses opened or closed. Service requests climbed 19%, driven by 42 tree-trim requests—a category the city no longer accepts but still logged. Crime ticked up slightly, with 63 incidents versus 61 in March, including 22 violent offenses.

2026-04

Oakland permit hits $700k despite half the count

Oakland pulled two permits in April, down from four in March, but their combined value jumped to $700,000—a fifteenfold increase from the prior month's $42,851. Both were renovation or alteration jobs. Crime dropped by half, from 68 incidents to 34, with violent offenses falling from 20 to 12. Residents filed 108 service requests, up 9% from March. Potholes led the list with 13 complaints, followed by 12 abandoned vehicle reports and 11 about water on the street. No new businesses opened and none closed.

New businesses — 2025-04

  • JCB CONSTRUCTION SERVICES (Regulated Business License)