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Few and far between are development projects that have been expedited by the novel coronavirus’s impact, but one major Atlanta medical installation appears to be pushing its timeline to meet demands of the global crisis.
In Buckhead, the $600 million Piedmont Hospital expansion, which was earlier slated to debut late this summer, is on track to open five months early to accommodate the swell of cases of COVID-19, the disease spread by the virus, as well as other medical procedures, according to WSB-TV.
Ultimately promising some 400 hospital beds and 10 operating rooms, the Peachtree Street complex would take some of the burden off nearby healthcare facilities that have been bogged down by the pandemic.
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While the official opening date is still undetermined, the new hospital recently secured a certificate to start operating soon.
Officials said they were in the process of furnishing the building with equipment for treating patients, according to the TV station.
The 16-story structure, which broke ground in 2017 and wrapped vertical construction a year ago, is expected to house the new Marcus Heart and Cadiovascular Center and the Samsky Invasive Cardiovascular Services Center.
The development is replacing the former Sheffield Medical Building.