COVID-19 alert: Missouri’s first Alternate Care Facility ready for coronavirus patients

ST. LOUIS (April 14, 2020) – The design-build team of Tarlton Corp., a St. Louis-based general contracting and construction management firm, working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, completed conversion April 11 of a Florissant, Mo., hotel into an alternate healthcare facility to treat non-acute COVID-19 patients. The facility, if needed, would serve as backup for patients referred by St. Louis-area hospitals and would be staffed by members of the Missouri National Guard.

The project yielded more than 100 patient rooms on the four floors of the 130-room hotel. The team built a nurses’ station on each floor and turned the existing phone system into a nurse call system. Beds and furniture were moved. Extra furniture was put into temporary storage. PTAC units in rooms were inspected and repaired or replaced as necessary. Hardware was changed on hotel room doors and bathroom doors to disable locks. All rooms were deep cleaned. In 13 rooms, carpet was removed and walls and ceilings were painted.

Project scope also included steps to ensure proper ventilation for a patient care facility: inspection and cleaning of HVAC units; relocation of exhaust fans within 25 feet of HVAC intakes; extension of plumbing vents within 25 feet of HVAC intakes; and construction of isolation barriers in the corridors (three per floor) to separate the elevator/nurse station areas from the three patient wings.

100+ WORKERS ON THE DESIGN-BUILD TEAM

More than 100 employees from the design-build team, including 50 from Tarlton, worked on site at the Quality Inn from April 8 to 11 to help USACE complete its mission in less than 100 hours. The team consisted of Tarlton (design-build contractor), Ross & Baruzzini (architectural/engineering services), Rock Hill Mechanical Corp., and Guarantee Electrical Co. 

Subcontractors working on the conversion included C&R Mechanical’s Plumbing Division, Collins & Hermann, Dynamic Air Solutions, Flooring Systems Inc., Jos. Ward Painting Co., Midwest Elevator, Stanley Steemer, Tech Electronics, Waterhout Construction, and Woodard Cleaning and Restoration.

Workers inspect rooftop units in support of ensuring healthy air circulation in the alternate care facility. 

Government, health, and hospital officials toured the facility at 55 Dunn Road over the weekend and Monday morning. USACE Maj. Gen. R. Mark Toy recognized all the participants for their work. State agencies involved included the Missouri National Guard, Department of Public Safety, State Emergency Management Agency, Department of Health and Senior Services, Office of Administration and the Missouri Hospital Association, in partnership with FEMA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“I’m proud of the quick and thorough response our team put together and executed,” said Tracy Hart, President of Tarlton. “We feel honored to be trusted by the Army Corps of Engineers for this critical project that is so important to our community.”

Becky Mehaffy, Tarlton workforce manager, said, “Our group jumped right in there with the single goal to get it done safely and on time. I’ve seen a lot in my years in this industry—never anything like this.”

“Our design-build partners, subcontractors, and consultants were critical to the project’s success,” said Tarlton COO Dirk Elsperman. “Everyone brought ideas and the will to succeed—a strong commitment to the 12:01 a.m. Sunday turnover."

"It was an extraordinary integrated design-build effort,” said Michael Shea, AIA, Ross & Baruzzini SVP/Director of Government. Guarantee Electrical President Dave Gralike added: “We are especially proud of our team and all the contractors and tradespeople involved in this quick turnaround project.”

Individual patient room at ACF in Florissant, Mo.