The cost of getting high in Chicago

Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, 401 N Wabash Ave, Chicago

As long as there’s a lake, a park, and a cityscape, there will always be a market for sky-high penthouses in downtown Chicago. Many of the homes under construction in the Loop, Streeterville, River North, Gold Coast and South Loop will benefit from beautiful vistas, even if they aren’t in the tallest of towers, but there’s no denying that the view from a 70th-floor condo overlooking Millennium Park, or an 87th-floor residence…well…anywhere, will be hard to beat.

Only three high-rises currently under construction will have 72 stories or more: The Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, Magellan Development Group‘s Aqua, and Mesa Development‘s Legacy at Millennium Park. (Since I’m considering buildings under construction, I’ve left out stalled projects like the 90-story Waterview Tower & Shangri-La Hotel and the 74-story Mandarin Oriental Tower, or projects still in pre-construction phases, such as the 150-story Chicago Spire.)

Yesterday, I called each development to find out where its highest available unit is located, how much it costs, and what kinds of views it has. Here’s what I learned:

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Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, 401 N Wabash Ave (92 stories)

  • Floor: 87th
  • Price: $9.6 million, or $1,401 per square foot
  • Size: 6,850 square feet
  • Views: East, north and west
  • Neighborhood: River North

Trump’s penthouse, not surprisingly, is the highest of the lot , as well as the most expensive. Trump’s Web site, unlike most, doesn’t seem to have a “views” page, but the simulated model shot at the top of this post may be a good representation of a unit with eastern and northern views.
Rate and review Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago at NewHomeNotebook.com.

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Aqua, 225 N Columbus Dr, Chicago

Aqua, 225 N Columbus Dr (87 stories)

  • Floor: 80th
  • Price: $1.17 million, or $639 per square foot
  • Size: 1,830 square feet
  • Views: South
  • Neighborhood: New East Side

The highest available home at Aqua, by comparison, is almost as high as Trump’s, but it’s also smaller and priced at one-eighth the cost. Unlike the homes at Trump or The Legacy, this penthouse has exposures in only one direction, but at least it’s the right direction. The home has a terrace as well, which will help to expand sight-lines further to the east and west.
Rate and review Aqua at NewHomeNotebook.com.

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Legacy at Millennium Park, 60 E Monroe St, Chicago

The Legacy at Millennium Park, 60 E Monroe St (72 stories)

  • Floor: 70th
  • Price: $4.25 million, or $893 per square foot (unit #7002) to $970 per square foot (unit #7001)
  • Size: 4,378 square feet (unit #7001); 4,757 square feet (unit #7002)
  • Views: East, north and west (unit #7001); east, south and west (unit #7002)
  • Neighborhood: Loop

The Legacy has two 70th floor units available. The north-facing home has 379 fewer square feet than the south-facing unit, but both carry the same price tag of $4.25 million. Both have exposures to the east, overlooking Millennium Park and the lake (as seen above), as well as to the west, looking back out onto the rest of the Loop.
Rate and review The Legacy at Millennium Park at NewHomeNotebook.com.

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I’m still waiting to hear back from representatives of the next three highest buildings, and will have a second list up once I do. In case you’re interested, those towers are:

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