Posted 9 days ago
5 MIN READ -- Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA) recently released its quarter one 2025 State of the Loop report on downtown activity, using a variety of data sources, produced by CLA since July 2020. The report tracks pedestrian and transportation activity, investment, retail, arts and culture, and more. View the quarter one (Jan.-Mar. 2025) State of the Loop report here.
“The Loop represents less than half a percent of the city’s geography yet generates nearly 15 percent of the city’s tax revenue through a world class theater district, educational institutions, concentration of business, and a resilient retail landscape largely dependent on public transit,” said Michael Edwards, President and CEO of Chicago Loop Alliance. “With the impending 2026 fiscal cliff, crippling service cuts would potentially devastate the Loop and regional economy, and Chicago Loop Alliance supports system reform and the request for a $1.5 billion investment to maintain and enhance public transit services.”
Pedestrian
State Street in the Loop saw a total of 14.9 million pedestrian impressions across Q1, averaging 94 percent of 2019 levels.
Starting in mid-January weekend pedestrian activity exceeded 2019 weekend averages by 122 percent.
Arts and Culture
Loop arts and culture attendance increased in Q1 compared to the same period in 2024 with 1,030,348 attendees, generating $280 million in direct economic impact. (Choose Chicago Cultural Index, DCASE, Art Institute of Chicago).
Transportation
The Loop saw 1,766 Divvy trips per day in quarter one to and from the Loop for a quarterly total of 158,942 riders. The Loop boasts the highest concentration of public transportation stations in the city, with 10% of 144 citywide L stations in its 1.1 sq mile footprint alone. Loop stations generated 21 percent of all entries in 2024. Service to the Loop on Metra also represents a majority share of total regional Metra ridership. Based on ridership data provided by RTA, 90 percent of all Metra rides in January and February either began or ended downtown.
Investment
The Loop saw significant investments in commercial, retail, and dining experiences in Q1 2025. Petroleum producer, BP renewed their lease at CME Center; Reckless Records will relocate to an expanded space on Wabash; and Gap Factory, Panera Bread, Momento Mexican Cantina, and Amorino Gelato all announced Loop locations for the year. New restaurant, Seoul Spice, opened on Michigan Avenue at the end of Q1.
Residential
Work at the 79 W. Monroe office-to-residential conversion project commenced during Q1. When completed the project will create 117 new units of housing, 41 of which will be affordable. Part of the city’s greater conversion initiative in the Loop, this project is a critical step towards the district’s future as an inclusive, dynamic business and lifestyle neighborhood.
Methodology
Sources for pedestrian activity provided by Springboard MRI; public transportation provided by Regional Transportation Authority and Chicago Transit Authority; office occupancy provided by Kastle Systems; arts and culture provided by Choose Chicago Cultural Index, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and Art Institute of Chicago.
