Michael Reese
Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center; Chicago, Illinois
Endowed in 1877 by a bequeathal from Chicago real estate developer Michael Reese, Michael Reese Hospital was established as a facility that would be open to all people, regardless of creed, nationality or race. Although Michael Reese was known as a major research center and leader of medical advances, financial challenges in the second half of the century contributed to the neglect of several of the hospital’s historic buildings. By the 1990s, much of the site had fallen into disrepair, and the entire complex closed in 2008. During its bid for the 2016 Olympics, the city of Chicago announced plans to raze the site for its Olympic Village. Despite losing the bid, the city continued with demolition anyway and spared none of its architecturally significant buildings from destruction.