The Army Corps of Engineers plans to transform the convention center in Washington, D.C., into a hospital if the city becomes a coronavirus hot spot.
The Walter E. Washington Convention Center will be converted into a hospital that will have between 500 and 1,000 beds as a preventative measure, Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, the head of the Corps, told reporters at the Pentagon on Friday.
“I think [D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser] was concerned,” Semonite said. “We’re watching the number [of cases].”
Bowser confirmed the decision at a press conference later that day, explaining that it will be used to treat coronavirus patients only in a “worst-case scenario.” She added that the goal is “to never have to use the convention center.”
Bowser also added that the hospital will hold 500 non-intensive care beds, and it will be available by the first week of May. The entire project has an estimated completion date of May 30 and is expected to cost $18.6 million, according to a Pentagon contract announcement on Thursday.
The Army Corps of Engineers is building 28 makeshift hospitals around the country in repurposed facilities, including hotels, sports arenas, convention centers, and college dormitories.
