Jacobs wins role on $1.7B New York public health lab

Award: AEC advisory services for public health lab
Value: $1.7 billion project
Location: Albany, New York
Client: Dormitory Authority of the State of New York

Jacobs will serve as technical advisor to a new five-story, $1.7 billion lab under construction in Albany, New York, according to a Tuesday news release.

The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York has tapped Jacobs for the progressive design-build project. The Dallas-based firm, on behalf of DASNY and the New York State Department of Health, will provide consulting and technical advisory services across the architectural, engineering and construction disciplines, according to the news release.

The firm will work alongside the design-build joint venture team of Gilbane Building Co. and Turner Construction, in association with HOK, according to Jacobs.

“Large-scale public health laboratories demand rigorous technical oversight to support safety, reliability and adaptability over decades of operation,” Imad Feghali, executive vice president at Jacobs, said in the release. “Jacobs’ independent technical advice is helping DASNY and the New York State Department of Health make informed decisions that advance regulatory compliance, operational resilience and long-term public health outcomes.”

The new advanced public health lab, called the Wadsworth Center, will play a critical role in disease surveillance, outbreak response, environmental testing and newborn screening programs, the release said. Construction plans call for the consolidation of multiple lab sites into a single, modern campus, according to Jacobs.

Once complete, the lab will strengthen New York’s long-term public health readiness, as well as its research capacity and ability to respond to emerging biological and environmental threats, according to the release.

Healthcare construction picks up

The announcement arrives as healthcare construction shows signs of momentum, according to construction economic reports.

For example, planning activity accelerated in May, buoyed by healthcare-related work, according to Dodge Construction Network. Meanwhile, groundbreakings on healthcare projects skyrocketed in May, surging 138.8% month over month, according to Dodge.

Spending on these projects has held up for much of the past 12 months, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data. Over the past year through April, spending on healthcare construction increased 2.9%, according to an analysis by Associated Builders and Contractors.

Jacobs expects construction on the Wadsworth Center to reach completion in 2030.