Ground hasn't broken yet on the Four Seasons Private Residences, but a sale there has reached new heights with an unidentified buyer dropping a record $10 million for one of the two penthouse suites.

That translates to $1,639 a square foot, also believed to be a record.

By contrast, Jim Nussbaum, of the Kentwood Co., is listing a 9,854-square-foot penthouse near the Denver Country Club, at 25 Downing St., for $13.9 million, or $1,411 a square foot.

The Four Seasons sale puts Denver on the map, said Liz Richards, a broker with Kentwood City Properties.

"Denver is going from being a cow town to a now town," said Richards, who was not involved in the deal.

"This makes me feel even more bullish on the market," Richards added. "It's just awesome."

Tami Door, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership, was equally enthused by the sale.

"I think it is a real eye-opener to many people that someone is willing to pay that kind of money for high-end living in downtown Denver," Door said.

"And I think this is just the beginning."

So far, a third of the units in the 45-story building to be constructed at 14th and Arapahoe streets have sold, according to the developer, a group called 1111 Tower. Principals of the project are Jeff Selby and Michael Brenneman.

"The brisk sales of the Four Seasons residences, particularly the sale of the penthouse, confirms Denver's coming of age as one of America's major urban centers," Selby said. "Obviously, the residences are filling a void in Denver for luxury, full-service living in a premiere location."

Buyers have ranged from business leaders to professional athletes, the company said.

The majority of the buyers are Colorado residents, with two-thirds living in metro Denver.

rebchookj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5207