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A redevelopment plan proposed by White Lodging, in partnership with the
University of Chicago, is to replace this historic hospital with a 250-unit
Marriott, a 130-unit Fairfield Inn and conference center. The university
purchased the hospital in September 2006 for $10 million. Incorporating the
historic building in the redevelopment plan has not been considered, despite
its orange-rating in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey and its inclusion
in the Hyde Park-Kenwood National Register Historic District, which would
enable the developer to utilize preservation tax incentives.
The Illinois Central Hospital was originally built to serve railroad
employees and their families. It is one of only several hospitals that were
built in the country to serve this purpose. Its architects, Schmidt, Garden
& Martin, were noted for their expertise in hospital design. A book
co-authored by Richard E. Schmidt (1865-1959) called The Modern Hospital
was
published the same year of ICH’s construction in 1914.
The building was included in the
2005-06 Chicagoland Watch List under a
thematic listing of threatened hospitals.
Photos: Robert Shymanski
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