Chicago City Wire

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City of Chicago on October 30, 2024. The request, issued by us at the Chicago City Wire, sought comprehensive details about residential and commercial building permits.

Our team requested records for all new residential and commercial building permits issued from January 1, 2023, until the date of the request. The specific fields we asked for include the type of permit, date issued, fee paid, requester's name, address of the property in question, and contractor's name.

In addition to this information about new permits, we also asked for a list of all active residential and commercial building permits and their current status. Again, we requested details about the type of permit, date issued, fee paid, requester's name, address of the property in question, and contractor's name.

As a media organization dedicated to providing accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs in Chicago, access to these public records is essential for our work. We aim to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency to the public through our reporting. Given our role in disseminating information to the public as journalists at Chicago City Wire, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as a media professional.

We look forward to receiving this important information from the City of Chicago and will continue our mission to keep our readers informed about significant local developments.