Chicago's Tallest Office Building Since 1990 Cracks the Top 20 Tallest in the City

The Bank of America Tower is the newest skyscraper to line the Chicago River.

1 minute read

October 3, 2019, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Chicago Construction

The construction site of the Bank of America Tower on N. Wacker Drive, picture in October 2018. | Google Streeview

"Construction of Chicago’s tallest office tower in 30 years is about to top out, providing another milestone in the city’s decadelong construction boom," reports Ryan Ori.

The Bank of America Tower, located along the Chicago River at 110 N. Wacker Drive, will reach 55 stories—tall for the last three decades but still well short of the tallest buildings in a vertical city.

"The Wacker Drive tower will be 815 feet tall, making it the tallest office building in the city completed since 1990 — when the 64-story Two Prudential Plaza (995 feet) and the 65-story tower at 311 S. Wacker Drive (961 feet) opened." The office tower distinction is crucial here: there have been residential and hotel buildings of greater height that have opened over the same time period, such as one with the president's name on it.

The building's height will make the building the 16th tallest in the city, according to a list maintained by Wikipedia.

"The building will cost $798 million," adds Ori. "Bank of America will occupy 523,000 square feet and move about 2,000 employees there from other Chicago buildings where it currently leases space."

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