Col. Andrew Kelly, commander of the Jacksonville District

Col. Andrew Kelly, commander of the Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, signs the letter certifying the completion of the Alternate Care Facility the district built in the Miami Convention Center as Kevin Guthrie, Deputy Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management watches. The facility provides 450 beds, 50 of them intensive care unit beds, gives the state of Florida medical providers and state emergency managers flexibility as they prepare for a COVID-19 based surge at local and regional medical facilities. Initially, the facility was to be completed by April 27, but the deadline was moved to April 20 after a meeting with the Florida governor identified an expedited need. Even with the shortened deadline, the Corps of Engineers delivered the site early, with the contractor completing construction April 18 and the Corps signing over the facility to the state on April 19.