PHOENIX — The Veterans Memorial Coliseum could transform into a medical facility
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspected the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and two other buildings on the state fairgrounds Monday for the potential treatment and housing of coronavirus patients.
Coliseum staff briefed the federal agency about HVAC, electric and water services in the arena.
“We decide how many beds can fit in there and the state wants us to fit the maximum number in any facility,” said Bob Klein, liaison for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Whether the basketball court currently on the coliseum floor will be replaced by beds and medical equipment is not yet known. State leaders will decide what to do depending on how many patients hospitals get from the coronavirus “surge” in the coming weeks.
The Coliseum could be outfitted to receive medical patients within about a week, Klein said.
The Army Corps of Engineers has also inspected two Valley medical facilities, a shuttered Phoenix hospital and two Flagstaff warehouses.
The fairgrounds could also be used to provide shelter for the homeless population, Klein said.
