History of IMD

A legacy that just gets better with age

The first medical district in the nation that has grown with Chicago for over 150 years. Step into history and see how IMD became a leader in healthcare, research, and innovation.

Architectural drawing of Cook County Hospital, circa 1912.

Background

Located on Chicago’s Near West Side, the Illinois Medical District (IMD) is the oldest established medical district in the United States — and one of the largest and most diverse urban healthcare, educational, research and technology districts in the world. From the opening of Cook County Hospital in 1876, to the signing of the Medical Central District Act in 1941, to today, each passing generation has contributed to the rich history, development, and growth of this remarkable place.

Guided by the Illinois Medical District Commission (IMDC) — a seven-member board appointed by State of Illinois, Cook County, and City of Chicago leadership — the IMD continues to pursue the mission and vision that were set long ago: to develop into a thriving community anchored by healthcare.

1870 — 1913

Rising from the Ashes

The establishment of Cook County Hospital and key medical institutions after the Great Chicago Fire laid the IMD’s foundation.

1917 — 1970

Anchors Take Root

The Medical Center District is formalized, with major hospitals and universities expanding.

1970 — 2000

The IMD Takes Shape

Rush and UIC expand, and the district is officially renamed in 1995, marking its growth in healthcare and education.

2000 — 2020

New century, new opportunities

New hospitals and infrastructure, including the Rush tower and CTA station rebuild, transform the district.
2020 — PRESENT

IMD 2.0

The restoration of Cook County Hospital and new zoning approvals spark rapid development, bringing mixed-use projects, residential growth, and modern amenities.

Welcome home

A thriving future, rooted in history

The Illinois Medical District has come a long way from a small grouping of medical colleges and hospitals on Chicago’s Near West Side over 150 years ago. In recent years, building on the strength of our partners and the purposeful planning of generations past, the IMD has seen a rapid increase in mixed-use development, including residential, retail, restaurants, and hospitality. A critical zone for the Chicagoland area and its residents, the IMD is evolving into a vibrant community that continues to care for its patient population, welcomes new residents, and can retain talent as Chicago develops into a national life science hub.

Write your next chapter and see yourself in the IMD: Made in Chicago, changing the world.

Close Popup
2020 - PRESENT

IMD 2.0

Old Cook County Building reborn as Hyatt Place iMD.

The Beaux-Arts old Cook County Hospital building was decommissioned in 2002 and remained vacant for more than 15 years, until 2020 when this iconic Chicago landmark — made famous in feature films such as “The Fugitive” — was saved from demolition and carefully restored, reopening as the Hyatt Place hotel featuring 210 rooms, medical office space for Cook County Health, a day care center, museum, and food hall.

The Lydian, a 279-unit luxury apartment building, opened 2023.

At the same time, the IMDC lobbied for zoning changes necessary to make the IMD more competitive with similar medical campuses around the nation and the City at large. Planned Development 30 (PD30) as the area is known, limited land uses to medical, institutional and educational uses that were no longer in keeping with broader trends toward mixed-use development. In 2021, the Chicago City Council approved a comprehensive amendment to PD30 that expanded permitted uses to promote mixed-use, large-scale residential developments, attract private investment, and create local jobs as outlined in the IMD Master Plan. This amendment was a major milestone in the history of the IMD and spurred a new wave of development. In 2021, the high-rise at 1926 W Harrison St originally built in 1964 was renovated into the modern 272-unit Atrio apartments. And in 2023, Atrio was joined by a new residential development next door, The 279-unit Lydian luxury apartments.

UI Health Specialty Care Building, opened in 2022.

In 2022, the new UI Health Specialty Care Building opened, featuring an outpatient surgery wing and floors dedicated to multi-specialty procedures, imaging, a transplant clinic and pharmacy. The next year in 2023, Rush opened the Joan and Paul Rubschlager Building, home to the Rush Cancer Center, featuring a wide variety of cancer-related services. That same year, the 161-unit Cadence apartments building opened in Gateway Center.

Runners take part in the 2023 Chicago Lighthouse Rise to Shine race in the IMD.

2024 continued to see new residential and hospitality developments, first with the Hampton Inn & Suites in Gateway Center, then with Foglia Residences from Chicago Lighthouse, 76-unit housing for income-eligible households designed to accommodate individuals and families with a priority for those who are disabled, including those who are blind and visually impaired.

Welcome Home

IMD Welcome Plaza at 1900 W Harrison St, completed in 2024.

The Illinois Medical District has come a long way from a small grouping of medical colleges and hospitals on Chicago’s Near West Side over 150 years ago. In recent years, building on the strength of our partners and the purposeful planning of generations past, the IMD has seen a rapid increase in mixed-use development, including residential, retail, restaurants, and hospitality. A critical zone for the Chicagoland area and its residents, the IMD is evolving into a vibrant community that continues to care for its patient population, welcomes new residents, and can retain talent as Chicago develops into a national life science hub.

Write your next chapter and see yourself in the IMD: Made in Chicago, changing the world.

Close Popup
2000s–2010s

New century, new opportunities

Cook County Hospital Replacement Facility, opened as the John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in 2002.

The beginning of the 21st Century was a period of rapid growth and expansion for the IMD. The Rush-Barton Senior Assisted Living Project, Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, Roosevelt/Wood Institutional Office Research Center, Veteran’s Administration parking deck, and Veteran’s Benefits Administration Building were all completed during this time. Additionally, the Cook County Hospital Replacement Facility, a major new development, opened as the John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in 2002.

Jesse Brown VA Medical Center 200-bed tower addition opened in 2008.

In 2004, the Chicago Illinois Technology Enterprise Center (Chicago ITEC) was established with the IMDC as a strategic partner, along with Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Illinois Institute of Technology, and the University of Illinois to utilize grant funding to further the mission of incubating and assisting emerging companies and technologies. Planning was also initiated for design and development of a Technology Commercialization Center within the CTP.

Rush University Medical Center tower, a Level 1 Trauma Center featuring 386-beds, opened in 2012.

Within the CTP, Enterprise Center II, a wet lab facility, was completed to house graduate companies from the Research Center Incubator. The 2020 W Ogden Ave building, former home of the Chicago Medical School, was demolished to make room for a future mixed-use development on the site.

Building a modern medical district

In 2004, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center broke ground on a new tower 200-bed tower addition that featuring operating rooms, an intensive care unit and pharmacy. That same year, the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago opened its new command center in the IMD where aid is directed to more than 8.1 million people across Illinois, and a group purchased the shuttered St. Callistus School and parish from the Archdiocese of Chicago, reopening it as Chicago Hope Academy in 2005. In 2006, the FBI moved into a new 11-acre Field Office in the IMD, and in 2008, UIC College Prep, a public four-year high school was founded in the previously shuttered Gladstone School building.

Vertiport Chicago, Chicago's only commercial helicopter facility, opened 2015.

Opened in 2012, the award-winning new Rush University Medical Center tower opened as a Level 1 Trauma Center, featuring 386-beds for acute and critical care patients and state-of-the-art surgical, diagnostic and therapeutic services — the centerpiece of a 10-year campus redevelopment called the Rush Transformation. In 2014, the IMDC approved a new mixed-use development known as the Gateway Center on the former site of the Chicago Medical School, featuring restaurant and retail that opened in 2019.

The rebuilt CTA IMD blue line stop, completed in 2018.

In 2015, Vertiport Chicago was opened, marking the return of a dedicated a commercial helicopter facility to Chicago after the abrupt closure of Meigs Field in 2003. Vertiport Chicago is North America’s largest and Chicago’s only vertical helicopter landing facility, and serves as a Fixed Base Operation (FBO) location for the IMD, an ideal hub for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) handling emergency-medical flights for nearby hospitals. The Chicago Center for Arts and Technology (CHICAT) opened in 2017 in a former paint factory, where adults-in-transition and youth in underserved communities can realize their potential through free arts, tech, vocational and youth programs.

Gateway Center, featuring retail, restaurants, apartments, and lodging, opened 2019.

2018 saw more improvements, starting with the CTA IMD blue line stop, originally opened in 1958, that was rebuilt with improved accessibility and a modern design. The Cook County Health Professional Building was also completed in 2018, with floors dedicated to both state-of-the-art medical specialty services and administrative office space.

Close Popup
1970s–1990s

The IMD takes shape

In the 1970s, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center built a new Academic Facility, the Bowman Health Center for the Elderly, adding to its three professional buildings. During the same time, the University of Illinois built a College of Dentistry and a Health Sciences Library. The City of Chicago also opened a new Department of Public Health office and laboratory building.

The 1980s were a period of significant growth for the area. Cook County built a new Institute of Forensic Medicine and Medical Examiner’s facility in 1980, and in 1982, the Chicago Technology Park (CTP) was created. In 1983, the University of Illinois opened a 500-bed replacement hospital, the Eye Research Center, a student residence, and other facilities. Rush completed a 254-bed Atrium hospital building and the Veterans Affairs built a new ambulatory care facility. In 1983, the Polk CTA station, originally built in 1896, was replaced with a new more modern station that is still in use today.

Starting in the 1990s, much of what we now recognize as the IMD took shape. In 1995, the name was changed from the Illinois Medical Center to the Illinois Medical District in recognition that the “District” now contained various individual medical centers. In 1996, the State completed construction of a new State Police Forensic Science Center, the City opened its new Communications Center, and UIC opened its Molecular Biology Research Building. In 1997, the Cook/Rush CORE Center, the UIC Outpatient Clinic, and Cook County parking deck broke ground.

In 1998, a comprehensive Master Plan for the IMD was first adopted, and recognizing the need for additional supportive food service and retail facilities, the Ashland Roosevelt Retail Center was constructed.

Close Popup
1917–1960s

Anchors take root

Cook County Hospital building, circa 1925.

In 1917, the 971-bed County Hospital was completed and Charles Thorne, Director of Illinois Public Welfare, suggested that this region be given a special medical center identity. In 1925, preliminary plans and sketches for the medical center were prepared, and four years later the University of Illinois announced its intention to construct a medical school and a teaching hospital in the area.

University of Illinois College of Medicine, circa 1930.

By 1934, a local Medical Square Commission was formed to clear the property north of Cook County Hospital for a convalescent park, the first major land use accomplishment by an official governing body. In 1940, the Vito Marzullo, a state representative from the Near West Side, began lobbying Governor Dwight Herbert Green and the state legislature to establish the “finest medical center in the world” in this location. Park Livingston, president of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, also supported the measure, and the Medical Center District Act of 1941 passed. The Medical Center Commission was formally established and purchased its first property that same year.

Medical Center Commission logo 1948.

In 1953, the Veterans Administration opened its new West Side Medical Center in the Medical Center District. In 1957, the Fantus Clinic was added to Cook County Hospital as an outpatient facility. The 1960s saw the growth of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center and the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Campus, including a new University College of Pharmacy. During that period, the boundaries of the IMD were expanded to 14th/15th Street south of Roosevelt Road creating the “District Development Area” with a renewed focus on land acquisition and assemblage for future growth.

In 1955, the Chicago Lighthouse, founded on the West Side in 1906 as the Improvement Association for Blind People, opened its first vision rehabilitation clinic in the IMD.

Close Popup
1870s–1913

Rising from the ashes

Lithograph scene from the Chicago Fire of 1871.

The IMD got its start in the 1870s when Cook County Hospital, Rush Medical College, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons were established on the Near West Side following the great Chicago Fire of 1871. The completion of the Cook County Hospital in 1876 was a milestone that cemented the Medical Center (as it was known at the time) as the heart of Chicago’s growing healthcare industry.

In 1877, Rush Medical College constructed a building next to Cook County Hospital at Harrison St and Wood St, and Presbyterian Hospital (affiliated with Rush) was built in 1883. The University of Illinois at Chicago’s origins in the IMD can be traced to the College of Physicians and Surgeons, founded in 1881, that in 1913 became the University’s College of Medicine.

In 1917, the State of Illinois acquired the vacated “West Side Park” — home of the Chicago Cubs before their move to Wrigley Field where the phrase “Way out of left field!” originated — located at Polk Street and Wolcott Avenue for the University. Two new medical college buildings and a hospital were built there in the 1920s, with additional buildings added to this block in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1924, the Cook County Juvenile Court also relocated to the area.