New Laboratory Will Boost Preparedness for Future Public Health Crises
The State of New York has awarded an initial design contract to advance the creation of a new $750 million state-of-the-art public health laboratory on the Harriman State Office Campus Complex in Albany.
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 currently 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.
“Wadsworth has served as a global leader in COVID research throughout the pandemic,” Governor 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 Center, 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. Since its origins developing communicable diseases treatments in 1901 and the development of the Division of Laboratories and Research in 1914, the Wadsworth Center has grown to become the largest and most diverse state public health laboratory in the US.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, “As New York State’s nationally recognized public health laboratory, the Wadsworth Center is uniquely positioned to respond to public health emergencies as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This initial investment ensures the building of a state-of-the-art laboratory to continue and strengthen the expert analysis of disease specimens and environmental samples to protect the health of all New Yorkers.”
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