Thursday, October 13, 2005
Chicago Sun-Times
by Vana Kikos
Letter to the Editor

Cook County taxpayers, please take note! It would be a shame, a disgrace, an outrage and a senseless expenditure of at least $20 million to demolish our beautiful, vintage Cook County Hospital, especially when the final decision could be based on faulty and biased information from such sources as U.S. Equities and [Cook County Board President John] Stroger.

When most of our city's major developers have expressed an interest in adaptive reuse for a much-needed medical office center, parking spaces, health and wellness facility, dorms, rentals, lofts and condos, where then is the justification for such a blatant act of vandalism? The old Cook County Hospital cannot be built again, ever. Is another empty lot like the one right across the street from the existing building going to contribute to our tax base?

Vana Kikos,
South Loop