A Birmingham-based construction firm is being given two weeks to transform part of the Miami Beach Convention Center into a field hospital.

Robins & Morton is taking 250,000 square feet of the center and creating a 450-bed field hospital, including isolation rooms, to relieve pressure on area hospitals from the anticipated surge in coronavirus patients. The project will cost $22.5 million and involve up to 250 people working around the clock in two shifts.

Robins & Morton and more than 20 contractors from South Florida are involved in the project, which will follow COVID-19 health and safety protocols and CDC guidelines. The hospital is expected to open April 21.

The Army Corps of Engineers announced the project at a press conference today with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Robins & Morton Senior Project Manager Johnathan Peavy said the company was already working on its logistics while details of the contract were being wrapped up so that work could begin within 24 hours.

“Turning an empty space into a hospital in such a short time is a huge undertaking, but everyone on the project is committed to working with the Army Corps of Engineers to get this done," he said. "We know how important this is to the State of the Florida and the Miami Beach Community during the public health emergency.”