Dec. 22--Billionaire Lester Crown and his wife, Renee, last month paid $2.75 million for a three-bedroom, 3,400-square-foot condo on the 37th floor of Water Tower Place, according to public records.
Lester Crown, 90, is one of Chicago's most prominent figures. A longtime Wilmette resident, he is the son of Material Service Corp. founder Henry Crown, who in 1959 merged his firm with General Dynamics.
It's not known whether the Crowns bought the Water Tower Place unit as an investment or as a pied-a-terre. Located in the building's southeast corner, the unit recently underwent a gut rehab. It has 3 1/2 baths, custom cabinets, new electric, recessed lighting, wide plank floors, electric shades, large closets and steam humidification.
The unit came on the market in August for $2.8 million.
Listing agent Tom Gorman of Baird Warner, who represented the sellers, told Elite Street that "both seller and buyer have requested no comment." He said the sale was a record price per square foot for that particular size unit in Water Tower Place, changing hands for $826 per square foot.
Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
