Cook County Board Seeks New Use for Old Building

Deborah Bayliss | As of Thursday, April 17, 2014

Located at 1835 W. Harrison St., the old Cook County hospital was built in 1914 and was replaced by John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in 2002. The remaining former hospital structure was the administrative wing and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Because of its role over the decades of providing health care to Chicago's immigrant population, Cook County Hospital earned the moniker as "Chicago's Statue of Liberty," according to information from the President's office.
Located at 1835 W. Harrison St., the old Cook County hospital was built in 1914 and was replaced by John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in 2002. The remaining former hospital structure was the administrative wing and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Because of its role over the decades of providing health care to Chicago's immigrant population, Cook County Hospital earned the moniker as "Chicago's Statue of Liberty," according to information from the President's office.

Cook County Board of Commissioners on March 12 approved a program development team to find a new use for the old Cook County Hospital building on Chicago’s west side. The effort will be led by Chicago Consultants Studio, Inc. (CCS) with the goal of “articulating” the vision of County Board President, Toni Preckwinkle, the County Commissioners and the CCHHS (Cook County Health and Hospital Systems, leadership.

“The program/development manager will collect all existing data as it relates to the old Cook County hospital,” responded Karen Vaughn, press secretary for Cook Count Board President, Toni Preckwinkle. “They will conduct the due diligence to provide a framework for the competitive RFP (Request for Proposal) that will be issued in the fall 2014 to development teams. CCS would provide the framework to unlock the new value through creative ideas for redevelopment and the development teams will provide their ideas.”

Preckwinkle is hopeful this new $2.4 million study will garner a new plan for the 100-year-old structure, saved from demolition and boarded up 11 years ago.

The sub-consultant team is 100% minority-owned and women-owned, Chicago-based professional businesses and is comprised of:

• Neal & Leroy: Development Zoning, Entitlement and Strategic Legal Consultation

• Applied Real Estate Analysis, Inc: Market Analysis and Economic Feasibility

• Brook Architecture and Nia Architects: Programming and Technical Feasibility

• Cotter Consulting: Medical Programming and Capital Costing

• Prism Engineering: Traffic, Circulation and Parking Analysis

• Target Group: Community Engagement, Outreach & Economic Benefit

• Tristan & Cervantes: Project Advocacy (Lobbyist)

Cook County Hospital, now John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital, has long been recognized and remains one of the world’s great teaching hospitals, attracting physicians from around the country.

Located at 1835 W. Harrison St., the old hospital was built in 1914 and was replaced by John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in 2002. The remaining former hospital structure was the administrative wing and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Because of its role over the decades of providing health care to Chicago’s immigrant population, Cook County Hospital earned the moniker as “Chicago’s Statue of Liberty,” according to information providing by the President’s office.

As for the role the new John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital, in terms of the Affordable Care Act, “Cook County Health and Hospitals System's role with the Affordable Care Act is not limited to Stroger Hospital. CCHHS established a program called CountyCare, which allowed us to early enroll individuals in Medicaid who were eligible under the ACA. More than 92,000 people have been approved for CountyCare. CountyCare patients can access healthcare through CCHHS, Federally Qualified Health Centers and 38 area hospitals,” Vaughn replied.

The remaining former hospital structure was the administrative wing and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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