450-Bed Miami Beach Convention Field Hospital Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

A 450-bed hospital, built inside the Miami Beach Convention Center located in Miami Beach, Florida, was completed more than a full day ahead of a very aggressive two-week schedule, ensuring the facility is ready, if needed, before the anticipated peak of COVID-19 in South Florida. The temporary hospital is a state and federal partnership in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Army Corps of Engineers selected Robins & Morton to perform the work. The general contractor engaged more than 20 trade contractors from South Florida, as well as RLF Architects for project design and engineering. More than 250 people worked on the project in two shifts around the clock. The design included 400 acute care patient rooms, 50 isolation rooms, nurses’ stations and support areas. To turn more than 250,000 square feet of exhibit hall into a functioning hospital, construction crews had to install medical gas lines, duct work, plumbing, electrical and data wiring and patient-room headwalls with patient communication, equipment and oxygen connections.

The contractor received the project award on April 6 with an original deadline of April 27. At an April 8 press conference with Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County officials, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the hospital needed to be ready to receive patients by April 21.

The project team conducted the final walk through on April 18.