City In Review: Chicago

Washington Heights · Then vs Now

Washington Heights: 2024-08 vs 2025-08

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

2024-08 2025-08 Change
Building permits 39 47 +21%
Construction value ($) $541,312 $1,450,874 +168%
New business licenses 12 10 -17%
Business closings (proxy) 0 0
311 service requests 1,051 1,324 +26%
Reported crimes 270 256 -5%
Violent crimes 72 67 -7%
Failed food inspections 2 0 -100%

2024-08

Washington Heights permit value drops 91% to $541k

Washington Heights pulled 39 permits in August, up four from July, but total value cratered from $5.9 million to $541k—a 91% drop. Thirty-one of those permits came through the express program, mostly small-dollar work. Three renovation jobs and a pair of sign permits rounded out the activity. No new businesses opened, nothing closed, and service requests stayed at zero for the second straight month.

2025-08

Washington Heights logs 159 flooded basement calls

Permits jumped 42% in August to 47, though total value fell 31% to $1.5 million. Nearly all were express permits. Residents filed 159 complaints about water in basements, leading a 311 docket that also included 131 garbage cart requests and 96 tree debris calls. Crime ticked up 3% to 256 incidents; violent offenses dipped slightly to 67. No food inspection failures this month.

New businesses — 2024-08

  • Sangamon Food Market and Grill (Retail Food Establishment)
  • MVR CLASS 3 MOTOR AND BODY REPAIR (Motor Vehicle Services License)
  • TASTY CHICKEN & FISH FOOD MART (Tobacco)
  • HALSTED BP (Tobacco)
  • LEARNING SPACE LTD. (Children's Services Facility License)
  • MAIN STREET FOOD 103, INC. (Tobacco)
  • MASTERS SHIPPING SERVICES CORPORATION (Limited Business License)
  • TRACY NAILS, LTD. (Limited Business License)
  • HAWKINS SERVICES (Limited Business License)
  • Bar 91 (Tavern)

New businesses — 2025-08

  • MAIN STREET FOOD 103, INC. (Retail Food Establishment)
  • TASTY CHICKEN & FISH FOOD MART (Tobacco)
  • SEWREFFIC (Regulated Business License)
  • MAIN STREET FOOD 103, INC. (Tobacco)
  • TASTY CHICKEN & FISH FOOD MART (Retail Food Establishment)
  • TONY' S STEAK & WING (Retail Food Establishment)
  • HALSTED BP (Retail Food Establishment)
  • HALSTED BP (Tobacco)
  • HALSTED BP (Filling Station)
  • EL GRAN BURRITO EXPRESS (Retail Food Establishment)