BizPulse's permit tracking logged 35 new-construction permits in Chicago for the 12 days from Sept 18 through Sept 29, 2026 (the latest issue date in the data), worth $36.5 million combined. That's down from 88 permits and $77.9 million in the prior two-week window, Sept 4 through Sept 17. Fewer permits means fewer fresh buyers, so the ones that did land matter more.
Key stats — week ending Sept 29, 2026:
- 35 new-construction permits issued in Chicago, Sept 18–29, 2026, totaling $36.5 million across 33 addresses and 22 community areas
- Volume fell 60% from 88 permits in Sept 4–17, 2026; permit value fell 53% from $77.9 million
- 5 permits topped $1 million each and added up to $28.0 million, 77% of the period's value
- Near West Side led by count with 4 permits; Lake View and West Town had 3 each
Where Is New Construction Happening in Chicago Right Now?
The biggest single filing is 4717 S Calumet Ave in Grand Boulevard: a $21.0 million permit issued Sept 29, 2026, for piles on a 2-story senior center with 39 parking spaces. Grand Boulevard had just 2 permits in the window, but they carried $21.6 million, more than any other neighborhood.
Lake View is the busiest north-side market. BizPulse data shows 3 new-construction permits there worth $3.6 million from Sept 18–29, 2026, including a $2.4 million, 8-unit building at 3909 N Ashland Ave and a $1.2 million, 3-unit building at 917 W Fletcher St. West Town also had 3 permits ($3.1 million), led by 1334 W Grand Ave: a $2.36 million, 9-unit building with first-floor retail, issued Sept 22, 2026.
The Near West Side had the most permits at 4, but only $617,000 in total value. Lots of small jobs, no anchor project.
So what for sellers: Retail-ground-floor buildings like 1334 W Grand are the ones that eventually need signage, POS, and cleaning contracts. Piles-stage institutional work like the Grand Boulevard senior center needs site security, fencing, and waste hauling right now.
Is Chicago New Construction Slowing Down?
On BizPulse's numbers, yes, at least for this window. New-construction permits ran 21 in Sept 18–24, 2026, then 14 in Sept 25–Oct 1. Compare that with roughly 44 a week in the Sept 4–17 stretch. City permit data posts with a lag, so the latest days can still fill in, but a 60% gap isn't a rounding error.
Thirteen of the 35 permits were $500,000 or more. That's the list worth working: serious projects with a general contractor already attached.
So what for sellers: A thinner pipeline rewards speed. Vendors who wait for a full month of data will be calling after the GC has picked every sub. You can track the newest filings on BizPulse's construction hot blocks map and filter by permit size in BizPulse search.
What Should B2B Vendors Do With 35 Permits?
Work the top 13 first. Then pair them with licenses: a new construction permit at an address that also has a recent business license is the strongest buying signal in the database. We covered that overlap in Chicago's double-signal neighborhoods, and the East Garfield Park construction picture is in our September new-construction permit report.
Permit records come straight from the City of Chicago; the underlying filings are public on the City of Chicago Data Portal. BizPulse's value is matching them to who's buying and when.
Bottom line: BizPulse recorded 35 Chicago new-construction permits worth $36.5 million from Sept 18–29, 2026, down 60% from the prior two weeks, so early outreach to the 13 largest projects matters.