Cook County commissioners have approved a $100 million plan to renovate the old county hospital.
At the board meeting - commissioners called in a few preservationists, like James Peters, to speak to the historical importance of the hospital.
PETERS: A recent Chicago Tribune editorial called old Cook County Chicago’s Ellis Island.
But commissioners were more concerned about the money it would cost to turn the hospital into office space. Commissioner Joseph Moreno supported the measure along with everyone else, but he did so with hesitations.
MORENO: It’s a luxury we can’t afford.
Under the proposed plan, commissioners will put up about $83 million. Then they say they’ll turn to the City of Chicago for another $24 million in TIF funds. A spokeswoman for the city, though, says officials have not been approached with any offer.