After the terrorist acts of September 11 , 2001 , Trump reduced the planned height to 78 stories and , to reduce the risk of similar attacks . '' Time '' magazine reported that a meeting between Smith and Trump about erecting the tallest building in Chicago was taking place at the actual time of the attacks . Some international news sources later claimed that the planned tower height was reduced to after the original plans called for a 150-story building that would reach . These claims are supported by computer renderings from 1999 of the proposed skyscraper , shown in the '' Chicago Tribune '' in 2005
terrorist acts of September 11 , 2001
September 11 attacks
Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)