The Building

Haberdasher Square Lofts Chicago occupies a genuine piece of Chicago manufacturing history at 728 W Jackson Blvd, on the corner of Jackson and Des Plaines in the West Loop's Jackson Blvd Loft District. The original 8-story neo-Gothic brick and reinforced-concrete building was designed by prolific Chicago architect Alfred S. Alschuler in 1926 as the headquarters of the A.B. Dick Company, inventors of the mimeograph. A.B. Dick soon added four and a half more floors on top, bringing the tower to its current 12 stories.

A.B. Dick moved out in 1949, and the building became the longtime home of menswear maker Hart Schaffner & Marx. Developers purchased the property along with the adjacent 1933 building — once occupied by the Wurlitzer Jukebox Company — and converted both into Haberdasher Square Lofts in 1995, one of the first successful factory-to-loft conversions in the near West Loop.

Notable details

• Designed by architect Alfred S. Alschuler, one of Chicago's most prolific 1920s architects
• Two connected buildings: a "timber side" with exposed timber beams and a "concrete side" with mushroom columns
• Original freight elevator from the A.B. Dick era is still operational
• A 2025 historical marker on-site commemorates the building's industrial past

Units & Policies

Haberdasher Square Lofts Chicago offers 226 true loft condominiums spanning 1 to 4 bedrooms. One-bedroom units generally run from about 700 to 1,406 square feet, with the building-wide average around 1,009 square feet and some larger homes reaching roughly 2,850 square feet. The 1933 building includes 2-story timber townhome-style units with private exterior entrances and garden-level lower floors.

Interiors mix exposed concrete columns, original timber beams, terra cotta walls, soaring ceilings, and oversized industrial windows — the classic "true loft" look that's harder to find in newer West Loop construction.

HOA & fees

Reported monthly assessments range from roughly $419 to $1,587 depending on unit size, typically covering heat, water, gas, air conditioning, common insurance, doorman service, cable/internet, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, and snow removal.

Pets & parking

The building is pet-friendly for dogs and cats, though reported weight limits vary by listing, so confirm current rules with the association. Heated, deeded garage parking is available on-site, along with a bike room.

Recreational & Practical Amenities

• Exercise/fitness room
• Half-court basketball facility — rare for any Chicago residential building
• Roof deck and sundeck with grills and skyline views
• Bike room
• Party/hospitality room
• Additional private storage

Services & Building Features

• 24-hour door staff and on-site property management
• Business center and package/receiving room
• On-site dry cleaner
• Heated, deeded garage parking
• Original operational freight elevator plus a service elevator

The condo association at Haberdasher Square Lofts Chicago is managed by Sudler Property Management.

A West Loop Address

Haberdasher Square Lofts Chicago sits in what locals call the Jackson Blvd Loft District, a strip of converted factory and warehouse buildings along West Jackson Boulevard in the West Loop community. The building is sandwiched between two of the neighborhood's best-known draws: Chicago Union Station a short walk east, and the Greektown restaurant corridor along Halsted Street a short walk west.

The West Loop itself stretches roughly from the Kennedy Expressway west to Ashland Avenue, and today mixes historic loft conversions like this one with the newer restaurant-heavy Fulton Market District to the north.

Distance from Printer's Row & the South Loop

For geographic clarity: Haberdasher Square Lofts Chicago is not part of the South Loop / Printer's Row / Dearborn Park cluster covered elsewhere in this guide series. It sits roughly a mile west of that historic core, across the Loop's downtown core via the Eisenhower Expressway corridor rather than to the south.

Residents here are trading immediate proximity to Printer's Row's book-trade lofts for immediate proximity to Union Station, Greektown, and the West Loop's dining scene — a genuinely different, but equally walkable, slice of downtown-adjacent Chicago.

Between Union Station and Greektown

From Jackson and Des Plaines, residents are within an easy walk of some of downtown Chicago's biggest transit and dining anchors.

• Chicago Union Station — about a 10-minute walk east
• Greektown's Halsted Street restaurant row — about a 5-minute walk west
• UIC-Halsted Blue Line station — about a 6 to 8-minute walk
• The Loop's business district — a short walk or one train stop east

Everyday Anchors

Daily conveniences cluster along Halsted Street and near Union Station, with larger stores a short ride away.

• Mariano's grocery and food hall near Union Station/Greektown
• The French Market inside the Ogilvie Transportation Center
• UIC campus and University Village just south
• Fulton Market District dining a short walk or ride north

Restaurants

Coffee & Brunch

Independent coffee shops and quick-service cafes dot Halsted Street and the streets around Union Station, convenient for a morning walk to the train or a remote-work session.

Grocery Options

• Mariano's — full-service grocery and food hall near Union Station/Greektown
• The French Market at Ogilvie Transportation Center — food stalls, bakery, and specialty grocers
• Convenience stores and pharmacies along Halsted and Jackson

Shopping

• Fulton Market District boutiques and home goods stores, a short ride north
• The Loop's State Street shopping corridor, a short walk or train ride east
• Neighborhood shops and services along Halsted Street in Greektown

Green Space

• Mary Bartelme Park — a West Loop park with a dog-friendly area and play space
• Union Park — historic West Side park with a fieldhouse and green lawns
• Skinner Park — neighborhood park near University Village

Active Living

Residents also have the building's own exercise room, half-court basketball facility, and roof deck for everyday workouts, with additional gyms and fitness studios scattered throughout the West Loop and Fulton Market District.

Culture Nearby

• Greektown's annual Taste of Greektown and Greektown Restaurant Week events along Halsted Street
• The Loop's theater district, a short walk or train ride east
• United Center — home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, about a mile west

Nightlife & Events

Fulton Market District's restaurant and nightlife scene is a short walk or ride north, while the West Loop and Greektown corridors host their own steady calendar of neighborhood festivals and restaurant weeks throughout the year.

Transit

• UIC-Halsted CTA Blue Line station — about a 6 to 8-minute walk
• Chicago Union Station (Amtrak and Metra) — about a 10-minute walk
• Clinton Green/Pink Line station — a somewhat longer walk north
• CTA bus routes 8, 20, 60, and 126 run along nearby Halsted and Jackson

Driving & Air

• Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) on-ramps close by to the south
• Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) a short drive east
• Midway and O'Hare both roughly a 20 to 30-minute drive depending on traffic

Healthcare

The Illinois Medical District — home to Rush University Medical Center and UI Health — sits roughly a mile and a half southwest, an easy drive or bus ride, with additional urgent-care and pharmacy options along Halsted and Madison.

Education

• University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) campus, just south via the UIC-Halsted station
• Whitney Young Magnet High School, a selective-enrollment CPS school in the West Loop
• Neighborhood CPS elementary options serving the West Loop

Hotels for Visitors

Out-of-town guests have plenty of options nearby, from business-oriented hotels close to Union Station to boutique properties along the West Loop's Randolph Street restaurant row and in the Loop proper just east.

Everyday Services

• On-site dry cleaner within the building
• Banks, pharmacies, and services along Halsted and Madison Streets
• Fitness studios and salons throughout the West Loop and Fulton Market District

The Haberdasher Square Lofts Lifestyle

Life at Haberdasher Square Lofts Chicago blends genuine industrial loft character with a walkable, transit-rich West Loop setting. Mornings might start with coffee and a walk to the Blue Line; afternoons bring easy access to Union Station for a day trip or UIC's campus; and evenings mean a short stroll to Greektown's Halsted Street for gyros, saganaki, and flaming cheese.

It suits residents who want true loft architecture — exposed timber, concrete columns, and soaring ceilings — over the polished new-construction feel found elsewhere in the West Loop, along with quick access to both Metra/Amtrak service and the Loop's job core.

A Typical Day

Morning

Coffee nearby, then a walk to Union Station or the UIC-Halsted Blue Line for the commute downtown.

Afternoon

Errands at Mariano's or a stroll through the Fulton Market District a bit further north.

Evening

Dinner at Greek Islands or Zeus, then sunset views from the building's roof deck.

Ideal Residents

True loft lovers

Buyers drawn to genuine 1920s and '30s factory architecture — exposed timber, concrete columns, and terra cotta — over new construction.

Commuters & frequent travelers

Residents who want Union Station and the UIC-Halsted Blue Line within an easy walk.

Greektown regulars

Anyone who wants Halsted Street's Greek restaurant corridor essentially at their doorstep.

Considerations

Not South Loop or Printer's Row

This is a West Loop address roughly a mile from the historic South Loop loft core covered elsewhere in this series.

Two-building layout

The "timber side" and "concrete side" have distinct architectural character, so unit finishes vary depending on which building a home is in.

Older building systems

As a 1920s/1930s conversion, buyers should budget for the maintenance realities of a nearly century-old structure, even with an active association.

Advantages

1. Authentic loft architecture

Exposed timber beams, concrete columns, terra cotta walls, and an operational original freight elevator.

2. Rare amenities

A half-court basketball facility is a genuine standout among Chicago condo buildings.

3. Transit and travel access

Union Station and the UIC-Halsted Blue Line are both an easy walk away.

Considerations

1. Distance from the South Loop series core

A West Loop / Jackson Blvd Loft District address, distinct from the Printer's Row and Dearborn Park buildings profiled elsewhere in this series.

2. Assessment range

HOA fees vary widely by unit size, from roughly $419 to over $1,500 per month.

3. Deeded parking

Garage spaces are typically owned or leased separately from the unit.

The Jackson Blvd Loft District

Haberdasher Square Lofts Chicago sits among a corridor of converted early-20th-century factory and warehouse buildings along West Jackson Boulevard, within easy reach of both Chicago Union Station and the West Loop's dining scenes. The surrounding blocks mix historic brick-and-timber conversions with the newer restaurants and offices of Fulton Market to the north.

Just west, Greektown's Halsted Street corridor remains the largest concentration of Greek restaurants in Chicago, anchored by longtime spots like Greek Islands, open since 1971.

Landmarks Within Walking Distance

• Greektown / Halsted Street restaurant corridor
• Chicago Union Station
• UIC campus and University Village
• Fulton Market District
• United Center, about a mile west