1837 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago
technical data · neighborhood and transit
Quick answers
- Does 1837 South Michigan Avenue have open permits or code violations?
- Chicago Department of Buildings lists 25 permits, 16 not closed, and 60 violations, 19 open.
- What is the 2026 conforming loan limit in Cook County?
- $832,750 for a single-unit home, per FHFA. Larger loans are jumbo loans.
- Is radon a problem here?
- EPA radon zone 2, moderate potential.
- What natural disasters is 1837 South Michigan Avenue at risk for?
- FEMA's National Risk Index rates the area relatively high overall, with elevated tornado and inland flooding risk.
Permits and code violations
16 permits not closed out. Unfinished permits pass to the next owner. 19 open violations.
- Permit - elevator equipment Aug 2025
Installation of card readers on two(2) 3000lb capacity, 20-floor, 350fpm, passenger elevators, pursuant to the scope of work submitted.(128479)
- Permit - renovation/alteration Sep 2024Suspended
Self-cert 2019 cbrc: revision to permit #101043684 to add scope & replace the existing make-up air mechanical unit on the penthouse level. no change to existing use. (occupancy r2 / construction type 1a)
- Permit - renovation/alteration Mar 2024Suspended
Self-cert 2019 cbrc: interior lobby renovation, new toilet room, basement storage room renovation, re-cladding of front façade at parking levels.
- Permit - renovation/alteration Nov 2023Complete
Self-cert; 2019 cbc; interior remodel of existing office space in a two-story, two office units in a masonry building.
- Permit - elevator equipment Aug 2023
Modernization of two (2) 3000lb.cap, 20-floors, gearless traction pasenger elevators #1 & #2. pursuant to the scope of work submitted. 128479
- Permit - scaffolding May 2021
Erect 1 scaffold 5/12/2021 to 5/12/2022
- Permit - renovation/alteration Nov 2020Expired
The class e business on the 1st floor of this 2 story building will have an interior renovation, remaining as a class e business. most of the work will be design work, but will also update the first floor's plumbing and mechanical system. window perforations will be added on the first floor, facing their building's private parking lot.
- Permit - elevator equipment May 2019
Installation of one (1) 1400lb.cap, 2-floor, 30 fpm, 2-3/8", savaria orion hydraulic limited use limited application passenger elevator in a owner occupied accounting office.. pursuant to the scope of work submitted.
- Permit – express permit program Feb 2018Complete
Installation of low voltage burglar alarm interior work only # 340-13126 job # 95330355
- Permit - signs Aug 2016
Die cut vinyl logo & lettering on west elevation
- Permit - scaffolding Sep 2015
Erect 1 suspended swng stage scaffold from 9/15/2015 to 9/15/2016.
- Permit - renovation/alteration Sep 2015Complete
Replacement of existing masonry parapet with new frame parapet and metal facade cladding. reconfigeration of front entry lobby to an existing office building.
Chicago Department of Buildings
Safety and environment
FEMA natural hazard risk
Relatively High
Highest for this area: tornado, inland flooding, heat wave, cold wave. These drive insurance cost here.
FEMA National Risk Index, census tract
Leaking fuel tanks
18 within 1,650 ft
Nearest: R.R. Donnelley & Sons, 1901 South Prairie Ave. (800 ft), open. 7 still open. Ask whether groundwater or soil vapor testing was done.
EPA UST Finder, leaking underground storage tank releases
Brownfield site
2,450 ft
Chinatown Library. Former industrial land in EPA's cleanup and reuse program.
EPA ACRES Brownfields
Toxic release facility
1,900 ft
Rr Donnelley Sons Co Chicago Manufacturing Div and 4 more within a mile. Reports chemical releases to air, water or land to EPA each year.
EPA Toxics Release Inventory
Historic listing nearby
300 ft
B.F. Goodrich Company Showroom and 3 more listings close by. Exterior changes can need preservation review; listed buildings can qualify for rehabilitation tax credits.
National Park Service, National Register
Radon potential
Moderate
Average indoor levels of 2 to 4 pCi/L. EPA still suggests testing ground-floor and basement units.
EPA and USGS Geologic Radon Potential Map
Nearest public schools
1,300 ft
Perspectives Chtr - Joslin Campus (1,300 ft), National Teachers Elem Academy (2,300 ft), Graham R Training Center (2,700 ft). Confirm the assigned school with the district.
U.S. Department of Education, NCES
Major airport
8.2 mi
Chicago Midway (MDW). Aircraft may be audible under approach paths.
FAA large-hub airports
Sinkhole-prone ground
Limestone karst
The bedrock here (dolostone (dolomite), Silurian) can dissolve and open sinkholes. Ask for a geotechnical report and check whether sinkhole coverage is in the insurance policy.
USGS Karst in the United States (OFR 2014-1156)
Conforming loan limit 2026
$832,750
Cook County. Mortgages up to this amount qualify for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pricing. Above it, the loan is a jumbo with stricter terms.
FHFA Conforming Loan Limit Values, one-unit
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Who lives and works in Chicago
Trading floors, logistics and the deepest architecture stock in America
Chicago carries a full corporate economy at a price the coasts do not match. Neighborhoods are distinct and walkable, two and three flats are everywhere, and the Loop still sets the commute for finance, law and consulting.
- $71,673
- median household income
- 18.9%
- residents aged 25 to 34
- 45%
- households that own their home
What pays the bills
- Finance and trading
- Logistics and rail
- Law and consulting
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
Who anchors the economy
CME Group · Boeing suppliers · University of Chicago · Northwestern Medicine · United Airlines
The market is shaped around
- Young professionals
- Families buying space
- Two and three flat owners
More on South Michigan Avenue
All addressesViewing recommendations
What's worth checking in person before deciding.
- Test water pressure and temperature at the tap, in the bathroom and kitchen, for at least a minute.
- Knock on a neighboring door and ask two things: what bothers them most often, and what work is planned for the building.
- Ask specifically where you'd park: is there paid city parking, who currently holds it, what the permit costs, and how long the waitlist is.
- Schedule a viewing on a weekday too, between 6:00 and 7:30 PM, the window when the building is busiest: neighbors, parking, elevator.
- Ask for the latest maintenance bill from a winter month, not a summer one: that's where the real cost of living there shows up.
- Look at the stairwell (cleanliness, smell) and the association's notice board: unpaid dues, conflicts, recent decisions.
Neighborhood recommendations are derived from public OpenStreetMap data and may be incomplete. Checking in person is still what matters most.
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