As of November 2026: Condos at Aqua, 225 N. Columbus Drive in Lakeshore East, sold for $305,000 to $1,410,000 over the past two years. The median sale price was $640,000, or about $530 per square foot. Thirty-four condos closed between November 27, 2024, and November 5, 2026. The typical condo sold for about 97% of its final asking price, and 26 of the 34 buyers paid cash.
Rising 82 stories above Lakeshore East, Aqua is one of the most recognizable residential towers in Chicago.
Today, it offers lake and river views, one of downtown's most extensive amenity packages, and a direct connection to the Pedway, the Riverwalk, and Millennium Park.
1. A Chicago Architectural Landmark
Designed by Jeanne Gang and Studio Gang, with Loewenberg Architects as architect of record, Aqua was completed in 2010 and quickly became one of the city's most photographed buildings. Its undulating concrete balconies change shape from floor to floor, shaped by views, sunlight, and wind.
Aqua is also three buildings in one: a hotel on the lower floors, rental apartments above it, and 264 condominiums on the upper floors. For the full story of its design, see the history of Aqua.
2. Living at Aqua: Location and Amenities
Aqua sits on Columbus Drive between Lakeshore East's park and the Chicago River, a short walk from Millennium Park, the Riverwalk, and the lakefront. Mariano's and the neighborhood's shops are across the park.
Amenities include indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, a sauna and steam room, a fitness center, a running track, a basketball court, a theater room, a business center, an 80,000-square-foot roof garden, and 24-hour door staff. Listings report owner occupancy of about 62% to 70%.
3. What Buyers Should Know About Aqua
Floor Plans and Residence Types
Aqua's condominiums range from studios of under 600 square feet to four-bedroom residences of more than 3,400 square feet near the top of the tower. The most common layouts in recent sales were one-bedrooms of about 640 to 860 square feet, large one-bedrooms of about 1,200 square feet, and two-bedrooms of about 1,550 square feet.
At Aqua, floor height alone does not determine value. Layout, exposure, and condition matter more, as the sales below show.
Views and Exposure
North-facing homes look over the Chicago River and the northern skyline. South-facing homes look toward Millennium Park, the park at Lakeshore East, and the lake. Corner residences on the upper floors can open in two or three directions, and those brought the highest prices per square foot.
Interior Condition
Many listings highlight floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors, updated kitchens, and in-unit laundry. Condition varies from unit to unit, and an updated condo can outsell a higher-floor unit in the same stack.
Association Finances and Financing
Because Aqua's condominiums share the building with a hotel and a large commercial component, buyers who finance generally need a portfolio loan rather than a standard conventional mortgage. Portfolio loans typically require a larger down payment, which narrows the pool of buyers who can finance a purchase here. That is a big reason most Aqua buyers pay cash.
Before buying, review the association's budget, reserves, and assessments, and talk to a lender who makes portfolio loans early in your search.
4. Aqua Chicago: Condominium Sales
November 27, 2024 – November 5, 2026
Thirty-four Aqua condominiums closed in these two years, at a median price of $640,000 and about $530 per square foot.
Closed Sales by Residence Type
- Studio: 1 sale, $305,000 (584 square feet, about $522 per square foot)
- One-bedroom, about 640 to 860 square feet: 10 sales, $338,000 to $468,000, median $370,000
- Large one-bedroom, about 1,175 to 1,210 square feet: 5 sales, $600,000 to $635,000
- Two-bedroom, about 1,175 to 1,830 square feet: 12 sales, $630,000 to $1,150,000, median $820,000
- Three-bedroom, about 1,750 to 2,100 square feet: 6 sales, $982,500 to $1,410,000, median $1,125,000
The most common layout, a 1,547-square-foot south-facing two-bedroom with two and a half baths, sold four times for $820,000 to $862,500.
5. What Recent Sales Reveal About Pricing
Layout and View Matter More Than Floor Height
Within the same floor plan, a higher floor did not reliably bring a higher price. The four 1,547-square-foot two-bedrooms, on floors between the high 50s and mid 70s, sold within $42,500 of each other, and the lowest of them brought the highest price. Three 687-square-foot one-bedrooms in the same stack sold for $338,000 to $370,500, and the 65th floor sold for less than the 63rd.
What did move price per square foot was size and breadth of view. Three-bedrooms with views in two or three directions reached $546 to $671 per square foot. Compact one-bedrooms sold at a median of about $500.
Pricing Decides How Long a Sale Takes
Selling at Aqua often takes months, not weeks. Counting total time on the market, including every time a condo was taken off and relisted, the median was about two months and the average about three and a half. Fifteen of the 34 condos spent more than 90 days on the market, nine spent more than five months, and twelve were relisted at least once. Three-bedrooms took the longest, with a median of about seven months.
Ten sellers reduced their price before selling, and only four sold at or above their asking price. Yet condos priced right from the start moved quickly: a three-bedroom on the 78th floor went under contract in a week, and a two-bedroom on the 64th floor in a single day.
Compact One-Bedrooms Face the Most Competition
Smaller one-bedrooms sold at the deepest discounts in the building, with a median of about three months on the market in total, and sold for a median of about 94% of their original asking price. The larger one-bedrooms of about 1,200 square feet sold in a median of about a month, at about 98% of their original asking price.
Financing Shapes the Buyer Pool
Twenty-six of the 34 buyers paid cash. Because financing at Aqua generally requires a portfolio loan and a larger down payment, fewer buyers can finance a purchase here than in a typical downtown condo building. Sellers are often negotiating with cash buyers who can close quickly and expect a price that reflects it.
Sales in 2026 Came Closer to Asking
Condos that closed in 2026 sold for a median of about 97% of their original asking price, compared with about 94% in 2025, and spent less time on the market in total.
6. Understanding Parking at Aqua
Most Aqua condos sell without parking. Eight of the 34 sales included a garage space. Rental parking is available in the building's heated garage, and one listing quoted it at $275 to $325 a month.
7. What Sellers Should Consider Before Listing at Aqua
Identify the Right Comparable Sales
Compare your condo with recent Aqua sales of the same layout and exposure, not with the floor above you or the building's overall median.
Evaluate Condition Before Renovating
Fresh paint, repairs, and a move-in-ready presentation usually matter more than a major renovation. Decide what to fix based on what recent buyers paid for.
Price Against Current Competition
Buyers compare every listing in the building, and the first price shapes the outcome. Before you set yours, review what else is for sale in Aqua right now and how long it has been on the market.
Plan for Cash and Portfolio-Loan Buyers
Because most buyers pay cash and financed buyers need portfolio loans, confirm a buyer's financing early and pursue a backup offer whenever possible.
Prepare Association Documentation Early
Have your Section 22.1 disclosure documents ready before the first showing. Portfolio lenders and cash buyers alike will review them closely.
Market the Individual Residence
Buyers come to Aqua for the view. Lead with it, photograph the condo in its best light of the day, and show what makes your layout and exposure different from the others for sale.
That's my 3P-to-SOLD™ strategy: Prepared. Priced. Protected. To estimate what you would keep after closing costs, see how much you will net selling a downtown Chicago condo.
My Perspective as a Lakeshore East Broker
- Sell the view first. The Aqua buyers I've worked with came for very different reasons: a second home close to family, a move from the East Coast, a city residence for owners who live in the suburbs. Every one of them chose the view. Photograph it at the best time of day, from the balcony and from inside, and schedule showings when the light is right.
- Price for the buyers who can actually buy. Most Aqua buyers pay cash, and financed buyers need a portfolio loan and a larger down payment. A smaller buyer pool makes an accurate first price more important than in a typical downtown building.
- Check the buyer's financing on day one. Before accepting an offer, confirm that a financed buyer has a portfolio lender and the down payment that loan requires. And keep a backup offer in play until closing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Aqua Condos
How much do condos at Aqua sell for?
From November 2024 to November 2026, Aqua condos sold for $305,000 to $1,410,000, with a median of $640,000. One-bedrooms of about 640 to 860 square feet sold for a median of $370,000, two-bedrooms for a median of $820,000, and three-bedrooms for a median of $1,125,000.
What is the price per square foot at Aqua?
The median was about $530 per square foot, with a range of about $466 to $671. Larger three-bedrooms with views in several directions brought the highest prices per square foot.
Can you get a conventional mortgage at Aqua?
Generally not. Because the building includes a hotel and a large commercial component, buyers who finance usually need a portfolio loan, which typically requires a larger down payment. Most recent buyers paid cash.
How long does it take to sell a condo at Aqua?
Often several months. Counting total time on the market, including relistings, the median was about two months and the average about three and a half, and 15 of 34 recent sales took more than 90 days. Larger condos took longest. Condos priced in line with recent sales were the exception and sometimes went under contract within days.
What do Aqua's monthly assessments include?
Assessments in recent sales ranged from $556 to $2,521 a month, about $0.84 to $1.33 per square foot. Listings describe them as including heat, air conditioning, water, door staff, cable TV, internet and Wi-Fi, exercise facilities, and scavenger service. For more, see Chicago condo assessments explained.
Do Aqua condos come with parking?
Usually not. Eight of 34 recent sales included a garage space. Rental parking is available in the building's heated garage.
8. Thinking About Selling Your Aqua Condo?
I live in Lakeshore East and follow Aqua's sales closely. Request your condo selling strategy: what your condo could sell for, what's worth fixing first, and how it compares with others in Aqua.
More About Aqua and Lakeshore East
- Aqua: The Tower That Made Lakeshore East Famous
- The First Towers of Lakeshore East: How a Master Plan Became a Neighborhood
See all downtown Chicago condo building guides.
About Larissa Brodsky
Larissa Brodsky is a Chicago real estate broker affiliated with Compass and has been in Chicago real estate since 2008. She lives in Lakeshore East and specializes in downtown Chicago condominiums, including Lakeshore East, Streeterville, River North, and the Gold Coast. A Certified International Property Specialist with a Master's in Computer Science from DePaul, she brings a data-driven approach to pricing, preparation, negotiation, and closing.
Market information is based on MRED MLS data for 34 closed condo sales at 225 N. Columbus Drive from November 27, 2024, to November 5, 2026, compiled November 8, 2026, and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Square footage is approximate and was not reported for three sales, so price-per-square-foot figures use the other 31. Verify amenities, fees, and financing requirements with management and your lender. This article is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice.
