It was designed by Bertrand Goldberg, to whose Marina City it bears clear affinities, and was completed in 1986 in the South Loop neighborhood of Chicago.

The towers sit on a 4-story post-and-beam "plinth" that contains approximately 225,000 square feet of commercial and office space, including a 50,000 square foot health club with full-size pool, an underground, indoor parking lot, and a 70-slip marina with a bubbler system that prevents freezing and permits year-round use.

It was to consist of a series of 72-story mixed-use skyscrapers, clustered in groups of three, and joined every 18 stories by triangular platforms containing resident services.

He had an expansive conception of the responsibilities of a residential developer and planned to provide an extensive range of services to residents from medical clinics to educational and training facilities for “lifelong learning”.

Goldberg and the developers made plans to expand River City to the north and south, but were unable to acquire financing for additions to the building.