Chicago's Old Cook County Hospital Transformed Into Dual Branded Hyatt Hotel
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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 transformative project is the first phase and anchor for Harrison Square, a new micro-neighborhood that will add residential, office, retail and hotel space in the area immediately surrounding the former hospital within the Illinois Medical District. 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. 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 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."
