Albany Wadsworth Laboratory Frame Construction Finished
The project reached a major construction milestone with the completion of the five-story facility structural steel frame.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Construction
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Construction teams have finished installing the structural steel frame for the new $1.7 billion Wadsworth Center Laboratory in Albany. The facility will eventually house public health research and emergency response operations under one roof.
Why it matters
Consolidating five separate sites into this single, 663,000-square-foot campus aims to significantly bolster New York's disease surveillance capabilities. The new laboratory is intended to streamline scientific research and expedite public health responses.
The new campus at the W. Averell Harriman State Office Campus encompasses 663,000 square feet across five stories. The steel frame required the installation of 8,200 individual components totaling 5,545 tons.
The players
Gilbane Building Company
This global firm provides construction, consulting, and real estate development services.
Turner Construction Company
This construction services company specializes in large-scale building projects and infrastructure.
DASNY
The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York serves as a public benefit corporation that finances and builds critical state facilities.
New York State Department of Health
This state agency oversees public health policy and operates laboratory systems throughout New York.
HOK
This is a global design, architecture, engineering, and planning firm that serves as the project lead for this laboratory.
The details
The joint venture of Gilbane Building Company and Turner Construction Company completed the steel phase on October 14, 2026. More than 200 skilled tradespeople are working daily on the site, which is being managed by DASNY for the New York State Department of Health.
Timeline
Spring 2025: Site preparation began at the campus.
January 2026: Construction officially began at the site.
October 14, 2026: Workers installed the final structural steel beam.
2027: The state expects the building to be fully enclosed.
Late 2029: The project is expected to reach substantial completion.
Market Landscape
The Wadsworth project reflects an industry-wide trend toward consolidating public health assets to optimize research efficiency and emergency response capacity. This move aligns with state-led initiatives to modernize aging laboratory infrastructure through large-scale design-build contracts.
Residents in the area can expect continued construction activity at the W. Averell Harriman State Office Campus for several years. This project ultimately aims to enhance the speed and accuracy of state-wide disease surveillance and public health testing.
The takeaway
Large-scale infrastructure projects require years of coordinated efforts between state agencies and private contractors to reach structural milestones. This laboratory expansion demonstrates the long-term planning required to update public health facilities to modern standards.
What happens next
The project team anticipates the building will be fully enclosed by 2027, followed by substantial completion in late 2029.
Further reading
Learn more about local development updates by visiting the Albany Construction section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Constructionreview.
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