menu
Change Location Change Location

You appear to be near: Central/Midwest

Please confirm or change to view projects in your region.

YOUR REGION

Central/Midwest
Confirm
  • Central/Midwest
  • Northeast
  • South
  • West
  • Canada
  • International

September 2020

Old Cook County Hospital wins Landmarks Illinois Preservation Award



CHICAGO - Landmarks Illinois, the state’s leading voice for historic preservation, has recognized the redevelopment of the old Cook County Hospital Building with a 2020 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Adaptive Use. The annual awards program, now in its 27th year, honors exceptional historic preservation projects and the people saving important places in Illinois. Projects are judged on their impact to the community and how it inspires others, the quality and degree of difficulty of the project and the degree to which the project aligns with Landmarks Illinois' mission.

Click here to read about the Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards



Walsh Construction completed the historic rehabilitation of the 104-year-old Cook County Hospital building, converting the building into a dual branded Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotel, accompanied by the new Dr. Murphy’s Food Hall. The project was directed by the Civic Health Development Group, a joint venture led by Chicago-based Murphy Development Group along with MB Real Estate, Walsh Investors and The Granite Cos. Inc.

The 345,000-square-foot old Cook County Hospital was decommissioned in 2002 and remained vacant for more than 15 years, disquieting preservationists, historians, and other concerned citizens that the magnificent Beaux Arts building was at risk of demolition. The long-threatened building was included four times on the Landmarks Illinois Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. However, those fears were relieved when it was officially announced in 2018 that the prominent medical institution would be given life once more.

The development converted the former hospital and medical college into a 210-room dual branded Hyatt House and Hyatt Place hotel. The project also delivers medical office and retail spaces and the 10,000-square-foot Dr. Murphy’s Food Hall, named in honor of the renowned surgeon, Dr. John Benjamin Murphy, who studied, practiced and taught within Cook County Hospital and the Illinois Medical District.





Architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, along with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. and KOO interior architects designed the project to incorporate features highlighting the building’s long history as one of the world’s top teaching hospitals and significant place in the history of Chicago as its first public hospital. The building also includes a museum that chronicles the hospital’s noteworthy contributions to the region and to the medical field.



“The old Cook County Hospital is rich in history, having served our community and nation for over a century, while at the same time being a fountain of medical research, innovation, and advancements,” said Dan Walsh, co-chairman of Walsh Construction. “The Walsh Group is proud to have played a leading role in saving and transforming this unique historic structure; and delivering a reborn building that welcomes visitors and economic revival to the Near West Side of Chicago for another 100 years.”

Restoring a Landmark

Walsh Construction began renovations at the top floor and proceeded to work down to ground level, crews removed all interior partitions, leaving a clear floor plate nearly 550 feet long and 70 feet wide. Once the floor plate was cleared, new composite decks were installed. The original terrazzo flooring was completely refurbished, and the intricate interior moldings were meticulously repaired to its original condition.

On the exterior of the building, masons labored to preserve, repair and recreate the historic $18 million façade, requiring more than 4,160 individual pieces of terra cotta to be repaired or duplicated by Gladding, McBean – one of only two terra cotta manufacturers in the United States.





Built for the Community, by the Community

Walsh Construction in partnership with Cook County Government, organized multiple MBE/WBE general trades outreach events to discuss the project and inform the local trade and subcontracting communities of the project’s employment opportunities.

“This project is based upon community revival and opportunity for the local workforce and the Near West Side community,” said Jeff Pezza, vice president at Walsh Construction. “A tremendous amount of gratitude must be given to our dedicated project team, and especially the elected officials, organizations and individuals like Larry Huggins from The Granite Companies who helped champion this project across Chicago.”

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr., Alderman Jason Ervin, Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer, Joe Williams from the Target Group and Rachel Ivy from Communities Empowered Through Construction played impactful roles in community participation and outreach.

Throughout the course of renovations, Walsh Construction sponsored two eight-week pre-apprenticeship programs, which allowed candidates to gain construction exposure and experience by participating in the old Cook County Hospital project. Pre-Apprentices shadowed management staff, superintendents. industry-based training was also made available, including flagging certification, fall protection, confined space and first aid. After completion of the program, the pre-apprentice candidates were hired directly into local trades.

“The reborn Cook County Hospital will further energize the Medical District and supplement the neighboring healthcare institutions,” said Tom Caplis, vice president of healthcare at Walsh Construction. “This building has been rejuvenated and will serve as a place of history, comfort and hospitality to all who visit.”

Walsh

WALSH CONSTRUCTION

929 West Adams Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607
T: 312.563.5400
F: 312.563.5466

Walsh

ARCHER WESTERN

2839 Paces Ferry Road SE
Suite 1200
Atlanta, Georgia 30339
T: 404.495.8700
F: 404.495.8701

Walsh

WALSH CANADA

36 York Mills Road
Suite 302
Toronto, Ontario M2P 2E9
T: 416.849.9000
F: 416.849.9100

©2021 The Walsh Group. An Equal Opportunity Employer, Disability/Veteran. All Rights Reserved.   Walsh Canada Accessibility