Harrison Square

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Cook County Hospital Administration Building, completed in 1914, stands as an enduring symbol of the vital role of public hospitals in providing medical care to the poor and serves as an impressive gateway to the Illinois Medical District on the West Side of Chicago. The long-awaited rehabilitation of this imposing Classical Revival landmark (vacant since 2002) is the result of close public-private partnership between the development team, Cook County, and local and state preservation organizations. Despite significant development challenges related to the sheer size of the building and its deteriorated condition, Cook County Hospital is now poised to reopen as a 210-room Hyatt Place/Hyatt House Hotel and Cook County medical office facility, with food hall, daycare, and museum space on the ground floor.

The multi-use redevelopment will revitalize the surrounding Illinois Medical District and provide much needed amenities to support the needs of medical district workers, patients, and their families. The rehabilitation of the historic hospital building is the first phase of a proposed $1 billion redevelopment plan for the area. Historic tax credits played a significant role in financing the $140 million project. In addition to $27 million in federal historic tax credits, the project also secured $3 million in Illinois historic tax credits under the new state tax credit program.

When the rehabilitation project began in 2018, deferred maintenance, exposure to the elements, and vandalism had caused severe deterioration to the exterior and interior of the building. The restoration work focused on repairing the Classical exterior, returning the interior public spaces to their former grandeur, and updating secondary spaces to fit modern needs. The exterior primary facades, remarkably intact but neglected for decades, required significant repairs. Over 4,500 pieces of terra cotta were replaced in-kind. The monumental multi-paned wood windows on the building’s north façade were retained and restored and missing/deteriorated windows and doors throughout the building replaced. On the interior, the historic volume and finishes in the double-height main lobby were restored, bringing the original grand entrance back to life. Historic surgery theaters on the building’s eighth floor have been retained and protected, and smaller operating rooms have been sensitively converted to hotel rooms.

In a city full of iconic buildings, the Cook County Hospital Administration Building stands as a testament to the enduring allure of Classical design and a powerful symbol of compassionate medical care for the poor.