Notes from 401 W. Ontario
Journal
Progress on the building’s conversion, finds from the archives, and life in River North.
The House of Birkenstein: a century at 401 W. Ontario
Rags, rubber and iron: how one of Chicago's largest scrap houses built 401 W. Ontario in 1905 — and how the building became Birken Lofts.
Where the conversion stands: construction begins October 2026
Design and permits are complete, adaptive-reuse construction begins October 2026, and first deliveries arrive October 2027.