649-651 South Clark Street, Chicago
technical data · neighborhood and transit
Quick answers
- Does 649-651 South Clark Street have open permits or code violations?
- Chicago Department of Buildings lists 22 permits, 15 not closed, and 30 violations, 9 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 649-651 South Clark Street 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
15 permits not closed out. Unfinished permits pass to the next owner. 9 open violations.
- Permit – express permit program Oct 2024Complete
Parapet rebuilding: 1200 sq. ft. location: exterior paprapet walls.
- Permit - signs Jul 2024
Interior window push through lightbox sign
- Permit - signs Jul 2024
Interior window push through lightbox sign
- Permit - signs Jul 2024
Interior window push through lightbox sign
- Permit - signs Jun 2024
Installation of wall sign on the west side of bldg facing west
- Permit - new construction Apr 2024Complete
Spr 2019 cbc: revision to permit 101034474. interior first tenant fit-out for an existing 1 story retail space into a pharmacy with associated architectural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing work. (occupancy group m, type 1-a construction)
- Permit – express permit program Apr 2024Complete
Pull and terminate 22 cat6 data lines.
- Permit - new construction Jan 2024Expired
Interior first tenant fit-out for an existing retail space into a pharmacy with associated architectural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing work.(conditional permit subject to field inspections.)
- Permit - signs Dec 2023
Existing sign in place. no proposed work needed.
- Permit - signs Jun 2021
Business identification sign
- Permit - easy permit process Dec 2018
Interior demolition; remove existing drywall and plaster partition walls; electrical permit no. 100798600
- Permit – express permit program Dec 2018Complete
Demo existing light fixtures outlets and switches
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
17 within 1,650 ft
Nearest: B&B Parking, 633 South La Salle St. (350 ft), open. 3 still open. Ask whether groundwater or soil vapor testing was done.
EPA UST Finder, leaking underground storage tank releases
Brownfield site
1,700 ft
Industrial Scrap Recycling Company. Former industrial land in EPA's cleanup and reuse program.
EPA ACRES Brownfields
Toxic release facility
2,550 ft
Us Customs House Firing Range. Reports chemical releases to air, water or land to EPA each year.
EPA Toxics Release Inventory
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
650 ft
Jones College Prep High School (650 ft), South Loop Elem School (2,500 ft), Intrinsic 2 Charter High School (2,600 ft). Confirm the assigned school with the district.
U.S. Department of Education, NCES
Major airport
8.7 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 Clark Street
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.
- Look at the stairwell (cleanliness, smell) and the association's notice board: unpaid dues, conflicts, recent decisions.
- 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.
- 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.
- Knock on a neighboring door and ask two things: what bothers them most often, and what work is planned for the building.
Neighborhood recommendations are derived from public OpenStreetMap data and may be incomplete. Checking in person is still what matters most.