After standing vacant for nearly 20 years, the former Cook County Hospital will soon become a new hotel and office complex on Chicago's Near West Side, according to Block Club Chicago.
The terra cotta facade crumbled and its interior was damaged from years of water seeping through its deteriorated roof. It's $1 billion restoration is part of a multiphase plan to rehab the 106-year-old hospital and build apartments nearby.
When the rehab is completed in May, the former hospital will be home to a 210-room Hyatt House and Hyatt Place hotel, medical office space, a daycare center and a food hall. It will also house a museum paying tribute to the hospital’s legacy.
So far, the project has focused on the facade, spending more than $18 million to replace the windows and 4,160 terra cotta pieces. The building’s interior was gutted — except the former surgical theaters.
Cathryn Jakicic is healthcare industries editor of FacilitiesNet.com. For more information on hospital campuses and other medical facilities, check out the FacilitiesNet healthcare page.
