Clark Construction Group, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has successfully transformed the MetroSouth Medical Center – a shuttered hospital south of Chicago – into an Alternate Care Facility (ACF) to treat COVID-19 patients. The re-activated facility provides 585 surge beds, including 265 high acuity beds with services closely matching an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to support critically ill patients. The fast-track project was delivered in just 22 days.
The MetroSouth Medical Center served the Blue Island community for more than a century before closing its doors in the fall of 2019. Clark led a design-build team in revitalizing the once dormant facility into a fully operational ACF, converting numerous spaces, such as the emergency department, labor and delivery, and ICU, as well hospital office space, into patient bed areas. Crews also retrofit existing patient rooms with negative pressure units to meet air change and infection control requirements, as well as reactivated the medical gas systems to support COVID-19 patients who require ventilators. Their scope also included ensuring that all 26 essential hospital systems, such as air distribution, medical gasses, telecommunications, nurse call, emergency power, life safety, and electrical and water service, were inspected, repaired or replaced and fully operational.
Nearly three dozen Clark personnel, along with design partners and more than 200 craftworkers, raced to meet the project’s ambitious timeline. While the challenges of a hyper-aggressive schedule and complex scope were further magnified by efforts to maintain stringent safety protocols during the pandemic, Clark received Certificate of Occupancy for the project on April 21, four days ahead of schedule. The project was turned over to state officials on April 23.
“The collaboration on site has been like nothing I have seen in 26 years of military service. From day one, everyone brought their A-team, everyone brought an attitude focused on delivering the outcome, and really focused on delivering the mission,” said Col. Aaron W. Reisinger, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District. “Everyone worked hand-in-hand to overcome challenges and problems that otherwise would have taken weeks, if not months to solve. This project brought out the best of humanity at all levels.”
“Clark is honored to serve our community in such a meaningful way during these unprecedented times,” noted David Trolian, division president and chief executive officer of Clark’s Chicago office. “Delivering this project within the 26-day window required a full commitment from every team member involved. We are grateful to our project partners for their heartfelt dedication to meeting the mission. This is a testament to what is possible when our industry comes together and rolls up its sleeves to support the community.”
The MetroSouth ACF project team also includes architect Perkins and Will and MEP Engineer Salas O’Brien, as well as trade contractors Hill Mechanical, Titan Electric, RG Construction, and Consolidated Flooring.
