United States’ Largest State Public Health Laboratory Is Critical in the Fight Against COVID

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the award of an initial design contract to advance the creation of a new $750-million public health laboratory on the Harriman State Office Campus Complex in Albany to serve New York State’s public health needs.

The joint venture of Gilbane/Turner in association with the design firm HOK has been selected for the design and construction of a new Wadsworth Laboratory that will seek to consolidate operations spread out among several Capital Region facilities. 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.

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.