Jacobs has been appointed as the technical advisor for the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) in the construction of the New York State Department of Health’s new $1.7bn Wadsworth Center Public Health Laboratory in Albany.
The planned laboratory will have a footprint of 663,000 gross square feet across five storeys. It will consolidate several existing laboratory sites from across the Greater Albany area into a single location on the W. Averell Harriman Campus.
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Nearly 800 staff will work at the facility, which will support advanced clinical, environmental, and research activities. Designed to evolve with changing needs, it will also prioritise energy efficiency and sustainability.
Jacobs is providing technical advisory and consulting services, covering architectural, construction and engineering aspects on behalf of DASNY and the New York State Department of Health.
The design-build joint venture (JV) for this project consists of Turner Construction Company and Gilbane Building Company, working along with architecture firm HOK.
Jacobs executive vice-president Imad Feghali said: “Large-scale public health laboratories demand rigorous technical oversight to support safety, reliability and adaptability over decades of operation.
“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 Wadsworth Center is expected to play a key role in disease surveillance, environmental testing, outbreak response, and newborn screening programmes.
It serves as a national reference laboratory and is recognised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies.
In January, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the start of construction on the project. Completion of the construction is targeted for 2030.
The new facility will improve New York’s public health preparedness by consolidating five separate laboratories into one modern complex, strengthening the state’s research capabilities and emergency response capacity.
Established in 1901, the Wadsworth Center has become the largest state public health laboratory in the US.
The new facility aims to maintain existing collaborations with nearby institutions, including the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Laboratory and the SUNY University at Albany.
