City In Review: Chicago

Lower West Side · 2026-01

Lower West Side permit value drops 76% to $3.7M

Permit dollars fell from $15.9M to $3.7M in January, even as 32 new businesses opened—including Chido Juice (mobile food), Tito Tattoo's, and a Costco Wholesale tobacco license. The 20 permits issued were mostly express-program jobs; five were new construction. Residents filed 857 service requests, led by 155 tree-trim calls and 133 graffiti reports. Crime logged 118 incidents, 44 of them violent. Six food establishments failed inspections.

By the numbers

Building permits20
Declared construction value$3,748,701
New business licenses34
Business closings (proxy)0
311 service requests1272
Reported crimes185
Violent crimes61
Failed food inspections6

New businesses

Top permit types

Top 311 request types

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