3-Nov-16 – Sometimes you can own a slice of Chicago history and sometimes you can rent it. The four-floor observatory-turned-penthouse at the former Montgomery Ward headquarters in the Loop is available for rent. At $20,000 per month it is currently the most expensive rental unit in the Loop.

(Left) View from private terrace looking southeast toward Art Institute of Chicago. (Click on image to view larger version.)

Unit 1901 at Six North Michigan Avenue, near Michigan Avenue & Madison Street, appeared on the MLS for rent on October 26. It is also on the market for sale for $6 million.

The 6,400 square foot unit on floors 19-22 has four bedrooms, including a master suite that takes up the entire 21st floor, a terrace that wraps around the building, and two rooftop decks. When the building was constructed 118 years ago, it was the tallest in Chicago. It once had a ten-story tower, a pyramid, a temple, and an 18-foot-tall weather vane.

(Right) Less-formal living room with skylight.

There are now 119 condo units in the building. Association dues for the penthouse are $6,200 per month. The unit previously sold in 2014 for $3.9 million and has since been renovated.