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Award: AEC Advisory Services for the Public Health Laboratory
Value: $1.7 billion project
Location: Albany, New York
Customer: New York State Dormitory Authority
Jacobs will serve as technical advisor for a new five-story plant, $1.7 billion lab under construction in Albany, New York, according to a news release Tuesday.
The New York State Dormitory Authority has selected Jacobs for the progressive design and construction project. The Dallas-based firm, on behalf of DASNY and the New York State Department of Health, will provide consulting services and technical advice in the disciplines of architecture, engineering and construction, according to the news release.
The company will work alongside Gilbane Building Co.’s design-build joint venture team, according to Jacobs. and Turner Construction, in association with HOK.
“Large-scale public health laboratories demand rigorous technical oversight to support safety, reliability and adaptability over decades of operation,” Imad Feghali, executive vice president of Jacobs, said in the statement. “Jacobs’ independent technical advice is helping DASNY and the New York State Department of Health make informed decisions that promote regulatory compliance, operational resiliency and long-term public health outcomes.”
The new advanced public health laboratory, called the Wadsworth Center, will play a critical role in disease surveillance, outbreak response, environmental testing and newborn screening programs, the release said. According to Jacobs, construction plans call for the consolidation of multiple lab sites into a single, modern campus.
Once completed, the lab will strengthen New York’s long-term public health preparedness, as well as its research capacity and ability to respond to emerging biological and environmental threats, according to the release.
Health construction picks up
The announcement comes as healthcare construction shows signs of momentum, according to construction economic reports.
For example, accelerated planning activity in May, driven by health-related work, according to the Dodge Construction Network. Meanwhile, innovations in health projects soared in May, it was up 138.8% month over month, according to Dodge.
Spending on these projects has held steady for much of the past 12 months, according to the most recent data from the US Census Bureau. During the past year until April, expenditure on sanitary construction rose 2.9%, according to an analysis by Associated Builders and Contractors.
Jacobs expects construction on the Wadsworth Center to be completed by 2030.
