Construction of New York’s $1.7 billion Wadsworth Center Laboratory has reached a major milestone, with the project team completing the structural steel frame of the five-story, 663,000-square-foot facility in Albany. The milestone advances the state’s plan to consolidate five public health laboratory sites into a single campus designed to strengthen disease surveillance, scientific research and emergency response.
The Gilbane Building Company and Turner Construction Company joint venture reached the milestone on the W. Averell Harriman State Office Campus, where workers installed the final structural steel beam on October 14. HOK serves as the project’s design partner, while the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) is delivering the project for the state and the New York State Department of Health.
The completed steel frame comprises more than 8,200 major components weighing approximately 5,545 tons. More than 200 skilled tradespeople representing about 40 contractor businesses work at the site each day.
Five Laboratory Sites to Consolidate Under One Roof
The new facility will bring nearly 800 Wadsworth Center employees together in one building, replacing the organization’s existing operations spread across five locations in the Capital Region.
The consolidation is intended to improve collaboration among scientists and public health professionals while providing a modern facility for the state’s laboratory and research programs. The Wadsworth Center supports infectious disease surveillance, wastewater testing, environmental health research, newborn screening, diagnostic testing and laboratory oversight.
The new building will also provide space designed to accommodate changing scientific needs over its operating life. Its design emphasizes energy efficiency, sustainability and adaptability as testing methods and public health priorities evolve.
The state began site preparation in spring 2025 before moving into foundation work and structural steel installation. Construction officially got underway in January 2026, when state officials outlined plans for the new laboratory and released architectural renderings.
Building Systems and Enclosure Next
With the main structural steel frame complete, construction will move further into the installation of building systems and work to enclose the facility. The state expects the building to be fully enclosed in 2027.
The project remains on schedule and on budget, according to DASNY. Substantial completion is expected in late 2029, when the Department of Health will begin taking ownership of the facility and relocating laboratory operations. Final construction completion is anticipated in early 2030.
The project also includes participation targets for minority- and women-owned business enterprises and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. DASNY reports that participation currently exceeds the combined 36% goal, creating opportunities for businesses involved in the project’s delivery.
A Major Investment in Public Health Infrastructure
The Wadsworth Center Laboratory is the largest construction project in DASNY’s history and one of New York State’s major investments in public health infrastructure. The state intends the consolidated facility to improve its ability to detect and respond to emerging health threats while supporting research and diagnostic programs.
The new building will also bring the laboratory closer to a more integrated research environment on the Harriman campus, supporting collaboration with the nearby University at Albany and the state Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Laboratory.
As construction advances beyond the structural frame, the focus will shift toward enclosure, building systems and the specialized infrastructure required to support laboratory operations. The planned 2030 completion will mark the transition from a major state construction project to a consolidated base for New York’s public health testing and research programs.
Additionally, while New York is investing in a consolidated public health laboratory to strengthen disease surveillance and research, Boston is advancing specialized healthcare infrastructure with the $1.68 billion Lavine Bekenstein Cancer Hospital. The two projects reflect major investments in facilities designed to improve public health capabilities, with Albany’s Wadsworth Center focused on laboratory research and disease detection, and Boston’s new hospital expanding dedicated inpatient cancer care.
New Wadsworth Center Laboratory: Project Factsheet
- Project: New Wadsworth Center Laboratory
- Location: W. Averell Harriman State Office Campus, Albany, New York
- Estimated investment: $1.7 billion
- Building size: 663,000 square feet
- Height: Five stories
- Construction milestone: Structural steel frame completed October 14, 2026
- Structural steel: More than 8,200 major components weighing approximately 5,545 tons
- Expected workforce: Nearly 800 laboratory employees
- Owner and operator: New York State Department of Health
- Project delivery authority: Dormitory Authority of the State of New York
- Construction team: Gilbane Building Company and Turner Construction Company joint venture
- Design partner: HOK
- Expected building enclosure: 2027
- Expected substantial completion: Late 2029
- Expected final construction completion: Early 2030
Leave a Reply