The Cook County Hospital Administration Building on the Near West Side was approved as an official City of Chicago landmark by City Council today.

Completed in 1914, the eight-story building at 1835 W. Harrison St. was designed by architect Paul Gerhardt in the Beaux-Arts style with terra cotta ornament. The facility played an important role as a place for medical care for early immigrants and low-income residents of all backgrounds. It became renowned as a teaching hospital and the site of a number of medical breakthroughs, including the development of the first blood bank in the country, the establishment of the first intern program for physicians, the discovery of the cause of sickle-cell anemia, and the developmentof surgical techniques to repair hip fractures.

Closed in 2002, the former hospital was replaced by the nearby John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital. The 345,000-square-foot structure is currently undergoing a $135 million rehabilitation into hotel, retail and other uses.

Paul Gerhardt served as Cook County Architect and also was the designer of a host of other municipal and educational buildings throughout Chicago, including Lane Technical High School, Von Steuben High School, and Du Sable High School.

The landmark designation was recommended by the Landmarks Commission last November.

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