City In Review: Chicago

Lincoln Square · 2026-03

Lincoln Square permit value soars 54% to $7.2 million

Permit dollar volume in Lincoln Square climbed 54% from February, hitting $7.2 million even as the number of permits fell by 12%. Express permits led with 26 filings. New businesses dropped sharply—11 opened compared to 24 the month before—but the arrivals included Cafe Mas, a retail food spot, and Pollen Studio. Service requests climbed 37%, driven by 145 graffiti removal calls and 139 tree trim requests. Violent crime rose from 36 incidents to 42. One restaurant failed inspection, down from four.

By the numbers

Building permits42
Declared construction value$7,158,556
New business licenses11
Business closings (proxy)0
311 service requests1230
Reported crimes161
Violent crimes42
Failed food inspections1

New businesses

Top permit types

Top 311 request types

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