New York Construction Report staff writer
Construction is underway on a new $1.7 billion state-of-the-art public health laboratory that New York officials say will significantly strengthen the state’s ability to detect and respond to future public health threats.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that work has begun on the new Wadsworth Center Laboratory, a five-storey, 663,000-square-foot facility to be built on the W. Averell Harriman Campus in Albany. The project is expected to be completed in 2030.
The project is being delivered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York through a design-build joint venture between Gilbane Building Company and Turner Construction Company, in association with designer HOK. Officials described the project as one of the most significant public health laboratory construction efforts currently underway in the United States.
The new facility will consolidate five existing Wadsworth Center sites spread across the Greater Albany area into a single, modern laboratory complex. State officials say the consolidation will improve coordination, expand research capacity and support nearly 800 staff working in disease surveillance, environmental health and biomedical research.
“The new Wadsworth Center Laboratory is a powerful investment in the health of every person in New York State,” Hochul said in a statement. “The lab will allow the State to better predict and prepare for emerging threats to public health.”
Founded in 1901, the Wadsworth Center has grown into the largest and most diverse state public health laboratory in the nation and is recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a national reference center for infectious diseases, environmental hazards and toxicological threats.
New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said the new facility will ensure the laboratory remains at the forefront of disease surveillance and public health research.
“This facility will help us ensure our nation-leading public health research laboratory remains on the cutting edge of biomedical and environmental research critical to protecting public health,” McDonald said.
DASNY President and CEO Robert J. Rodriguez said the agency is working closely with the design-build team to deliver a world-class facility capable of serving New Yorkers for generations.
The laboratory is being designed with flexibility to adapt to evolving public health needs, with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability. Its location adjacent to the University at Albany campus is intended to strengthen long-standing academic partnerships, while proximity to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Laboratory will further support collaboration.
State officials said the Wadsworth Center plays a critical role in public health emergency response, including detection of the 2022 poliovirus outbreak, wastewater surveillance for emerging pathogens, environmental testing under the Safe Drinking Water Act, advanced diagnostic testing and the state’s newborn screening program, which serves more than 210,000 infants annually.
Officials said the new facility will enhance those capabilities while positioning New York as a national and international leader in public health preparedness.
