UPDATE:
It's new way forward for old Cook County Hospital.
County commissioners today approved a $108 million project to turn the vacant hospital from a hulking and haunting landmark to a busy office, which will eventually house the Cook County Health and Hospitals System administration.
"The saving of the Old CC Hospital will preserve a historical gem and save taxpayers money. A good day for historical preservation," said Commissioner Tony Peraica on Twitter.
The hospital has sat vacant since Stroger Hospital opened in 2003. It survived one attempt to raze it, and preservationists have long lobbied to keep the historic, Beaux Arts-style builiding functional.
It's unclear exactly when construction will begin, but renovating the structure will take about a year less than tearing it down and rebuilding (though it will cost $24 million more, according to estimates).
But the old hospital has an infrastructure in place, and architects says it could be refashioned in a sustainable way, furthering saving money down the road.
The Cook County Board's construction committee voted 6-0 to approve a $108 million project to rehab old Cook County Hospital as office space.
Three members were absent. The measure now goes to the full board, which will convene later today.
If the county board approves the plan, the vacant building would house administrative offices of the Cook County Health and Hospitals System. Currently, the offices are in a former nurses dormitory behind Stroger Hospital. The former dorm is slated for demolition.
I'll have more as the board meeting progresses.
Windy Citizen 