Gilbane/Turner in association with the design firm has been awarded a contract to begin design and construction of a $750 million public health laboratory in Albany.
The new Wadsworth Laboratory will seek to consolidate operations currently spread out among several Capital Region facilities, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office says in an April 21 statement.
The contract will be comprised of several phases: this initial investment will explore options for a new basis of design, ranging from partial to full consolidation of Wadsworth facilities, with a particular view toward enhancing the state’s readiness to effectively respond to potential future public health crises. .
“Wadsworth has served as a global leader in COVID research throughout the pandemic,” Hochul said. “New York is proud to support Wadsworth’s scientists and public health experts with the development of a new world-class laboratory facility to continue their critical groundbreaking research. We will continue to lead the way in investing in the best scientific expertise and state-of-the-art facilities to boost our preparedness for future public health crises, and attract and retain the finest scientists in the world here in New York.”
The Wadsworth Laboratory, which played a central role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, focuses on a wide range of critical public health concerns, including responding to public health threats, studying emerging infections, analyzing environmental exposures, and licensing clinical and environmental laboratories, among many other critical responsibilities, the statement said.
