(WTTW News)

After sitting empty for nearly two decades, the old Cook County Hospital building has been given a new life. Leaders are touting the $140 million project as a sign of hope amid an economic downturn.

Hear what viewers had to say about proposed residential reuse of the Cook County Hospital building and the latest proposal for funding Illinois' schools when we read feedback from the "Chicago Tonight" website, and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Ambitious plans to redevelop the vacant old Cook County Hospital building. Why County Board President Toni Preckwinkle thinks it might actually happen this time.

'Cook County ICU' by Dr. Cory Franklin

Dr. Cory Franklin spent 25 years leading Cook County Hospital's intensive care unit – more than enough for a lifetime of stories. The ICU's former chief joins Chicago Tonight to discuss his new book, Cook County ICU, his most memorable patients, and what they taught him.