In contrast to the previous courthouse, Courthouse Place, the Cook County Courthouse is located far outside the center of downtown Chicago. As mentioned before, it sits on an expansive 96-acre plot of land among a number of other buildings that constitutes the Criminal Division of Cook County. As described on the Cook County Sheriff's website, this complex includes a facility which "Covers more than eight city blocks with ten divisions, a health services facility, two education departments, a privatized food service and commissary agency, and four additional onsite Sheriff’s departments." Although the area's open space is what allowed for the construction of this impressively large facility, its sheer size and distance from the city isolates it from most common businesses, such as restaurants and stores, and proves to be difficult for many people to access. It is also interesting to note that of the eight city blocks that make up the complex, the Cook County Courthouse is the only building that features a neoclassical style.

Sources:

"Cook County Jail History." Cookcountysheriff.org. Cook County Sheriff's Office. Web.

Hammett, Ralph W., A.I.A. "The New Cook County Criminal Court and Jail Buildings.”The Western Architect 38.9 (1929): 156-158. Google. The Western Architect Publishing Company, 30 Oct. 2009. Web.

Welter, Katy. "A Remote Courthouse Leaves Many Chicagoans Far From Justice." Next City. 6 Feb. 2013. Web.