Medical Facility at Cook County Department of Corrections Complete

CHICAGO, Ill. – The new Residential Treatment Unit at the Cook County Department of Corrections in downtown Chicago, Ill. has been completed. ESD [Environmental Systems Design, Inc.] provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection services for the renovation. The facility is seeking LEED-Silver certification.

The 276,450-square-foot medical center will provide treatment for substance abuse, mental illness and general health screenings and evaluations for inmates of the jail. It contains 979 medical beds, separate male and female intake units, a medical and psychiatric screening facility, 24-hour crisis and intervention services, correctional psychiatric care clinic and secured exterior recreation yards.

Highlights of the MEP/FP design include a new chilled water system, double-ended switchboard for power reliability, 1 MW emergency generator and mechanical HVAC equipment redundancy.  ESD sought out detention grade low-flow combo units and show heads for the facility. Sustainable features include energy efficient lighting, occupancy sensors in all office spaces and time-of-day lighting controls in detention areas.