The Water Tower Place is a large urban, mixed-use development comprising a 758,000 sq ft (70,400 m2) shopping mall and 74 story skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The complex is located at 835 North Michigan Avenue, along the Magnificent Mile. It is named after the nearby Chicago Water Tower. It is owned by General Growth Properties.

 

Shopping center

The mall in the Water Tower Place has eight levels of shops.Water Tower Place continues to be a shopping destination due to its size and its wide variety of shops, despite only having one anchor. The stores include Crane & Co Paper Makers, three of Abercrombie & Fitch's stores (Hollister Co., abercrombie Kids, and Abercrombie & Fitch) occupying the mall. American Eagle Outfitters opened in fall 2007. Chocolatier Godiva has a location in the mall. Other retailers include bebe, bebe sport, Banana Republic, Florsheim, Lacoste, Victoria's Secret, Movado, I Medici Firenze, Sephora, Betsy Johnson, CUSP, Chico's, Ann Taylor, White House Black Market, J. Jill, Oakley, Crabtree & Evelyn, The Limited, Finish Line, Inc., Lids, Aldo, Coach, Forever 21, Wet Seal and the official Chicago Cubs Clubhouse Shop.

 

Instead of a classic style food court, Water Tower Place offers multiple restaurant and cafeteria style eateries in the atrium of the center (Mity Nice Grill and Foodlife, both owned by Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants) as well as Wow Bao in the entrance area and Auntie Anne's Pretzels on the 7th Floor.

 

The eight-level mall has over 100 shops, including Macy's (formerly a branch of the renowned Marshall Field's), the flagship American Girl store (occupying the former Lord & Taylor which closed in March 2007), a live theatre, and several restaurants, arranged around a chrome-and-glass atrium with glass elevators. It was one of the first vertical malls in the world, although along North Michigan Avenue it has been joined by The Shops at North Bridge and the Avenue Atrium (better known as 900 North Michigan), both of which contain higher end retail mixes. The building's design successfully addresses the challenge of providing separate entries and vertical circulation for, what amounts to a regional mall-scaled retail center, one department store, the theater, offices, hotel, and residences.