New York Construction Report staff writer
Skanska and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) celebrated a construction milestone this week with the topping out of the new Artificial Intelligence and Quantitative Biology (AIQB) building—part of a major expansion aimed at strengthening the lab’s standing as a global leader in neuroscience, cancer biology, and artificial intelligence.
The 28,000-sq. ft. AIQB facility is a centerpiece of Phase I of CSHL’s $500-million “Foundations for the Future” campus expansion plan. At full buildout, the 379,500-square-foot development will include a neuroscience research complex, an AI research hub, a conference centre, and housing for visiting scientists. Construction is expected to be substantially complete by early 2027.
“This expansion will help ensure that CSHL remains at the global epicentre of biology research and education for generations,” said CSHL president and CEO Bruce Stillman. “We cannot predict the future, but we can prepare for it.”
Skanska is providing construction management services for the $248-million first phase, which also includes a 36,000-sq. ft. neuroscience complex and a new 90,000-square-foot, two-storey parking garage with space for 225 vehicles.
CSHL is a federally designated historic site with roots dating back to the 19th century. The expansion project aims to preserve that legacy while preparing the institution for a new era of scientific discovery.
“It’s an honour to carry the laboratory’s legacy forward through this transformative expansion,” Skanska executive vice-president Sean Szatkowski said in a statement.“We’re proud to support world-class research while preserving the institute’s history and longevity.”
Empire State Development (ESD) is supporting the project with $55 million in funding—$25 million for the AIQB building and $30 million for the neuroscience complex. Governor Kathy Hochul and ESD officials hailed the project as a boost to Long Island’s growing reputation as a hub for life sciences and innovation.
The AIQB building itself represents both scientific and environmental innovation. Constructed using sustainably sourced mass timber, it incorporates glulam columns and beams, and cross-laminated timber floor decks. Waste materials from fabrication were recycled and repurposed.
The $28-million facility will house four laboratories, 15 principal investigator offices, nearly 100 postdoctoral researcher workstations, and 10 meeting rooms. Researchers at the facility will focus on the emerging field of NeuroAI, combining computational systems, circuit neuroscience and quantitative biology.
Phase II of the Foundations for the Future campaign will add two more major buildings: an 81,000-sq. ft. conference and housing centre, and a 56,000-square-foot facility for visiting scientists.
Construction on the project began in 2020 with the reconstruction of CSHL’s historic seawall, first built in 1850. Workers salvaged original stones to use in the facade of a new, structurally reinforced barrier that has already withstood at least one major storm.
