$1.7 Billion Wadsworth Center Lab Tops Out in Albany

New York State has placed the final structural steel beam on the $1.7 billion Wadsworth Center Laboratory at the W. Averell Harriman State Office Campus in Albany, completing the main building's steel frame on what state officials describe as the largest project in the history of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY). Governor Kathy Hochul announced the topping out on October 14 and said the work remains on schedule and on budget WNYT.

What Happened

Workers, project partners and state and local officials signed the final beam before it was lifted into place during a ceremony at the Harriman campus WNYT. The milestone closes out structural steel on a five-story building of about 663,000 square feet WNYT.

The scale of the frame is significant for a single public building. The steel package includes more than 8,200 major structural pieces weighing roughly 5,545 tons in total FingerLakes1. More than 200 skilled tradespeople work on the site each day, and about 40 contractor businesses are on the job WNYT.

DASNY is delivering the project for the state Department of Health using a design-build team, and the Department of Health will own and operate the finished facility WNYT. DASNY President and CEO Robert J. Rodriguez called it a "transformational $1.7 billion project for the Department of Health" WNYT.

What the Building Will Do

The Wadsworth Center is New York's public health laboratory. Its work covers infectious disease testing, newborn screening, drinking water analysis, wastewater surveillance and biomedical and environmental research WNYT. The new building will consolidate lab operations now spread across five Department of Health sites in the Capital Region and bring nearly 800 employees under one roof FingerLakes1.

State officials say consolidation is meant to improve collaboration and give the lab modern infrastructure for testing, research, disease surveillance and emergency preparedness WNYT. State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, "Public health surveillance is more important than ever" WNYT.

Where Things Stand

With the frame complete, crews are moving to floors, fireproofing and building systems, including electrical and plumbing. Interior systems are expected to take shape this fall, and exterior facade work is scheduled to begin later in 2026 WNYT. The project timeline, as reported, runs as follows:

• Spring 2025: Site preparation began, followed by foundations and steel erection WNYT.
• October 2026: Topping out of the main building FingerLakes1.
• 2027: Building expected to be fully enclosed FingerLakes1.
• Late 2029: Substantial completion, after which the Department of Health takes ownership and begins moving lab operations WNYT.
• Early 2030: Final construction completion WNYT.

Participation by Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses currently exceeds the project's combined 36 percent goal, according to the state WNYT.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

• Long runway for interior trades. With roughly three years between topping out and substantial completion, the bulk of the remaining value shifts to mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, lab casework and finishes. Laboratory buildings carry dense systems, so trade coordination and sequencing will drive the schedule from here.
• Enclosure is the next big package. Facade work starting later this year with full enclosure targeted for 2027 means curtain wall, cladding and roofing trades will be active through at least the next construction season.
• Diverse business participation is being tracked. The state is reporting MWBE and SDVOB participation above the 36 percent combined goal, a reminder that firms pursuing large DASNY work should have certification and utilization plans in order.
• Public sector work remains steady. A state-funded, multi-year laboratory with 200 workers on site daily is the kind of project that keeps regional labor engaged regardless of swings in private development.

What to Watch

The next public markers are the start of exterior facade installation later in 2026 and full enclosure in 2027. Watch for updates on whether the project holds its on-schedule, on-budget status through the systems-heavy middle phase, when lab buildings most often see change orders and coordination issues.

Bottom Line

Topping out the Wadsworth Center Laboratory moves New York's largest DASNY project from structure to systems. For contractors and suppliers across the state, the remaining three years of interior, enclosure and laboratory fit-out work represent a substantial and predictable public sector pipeline in the Capital Region.

Image credit: WNYT. Image from the source article.

Sources

• WNYT, "Milestone hit on construction of new Wadsworth Center Laboratory": https://wnyt.com/top-stories/milestone-hit-on-construction-of-new-wadsworth-center-laboratory/
• WNYT, "New Wadsworth Center Laboratory reaches topping-off milestone in Albany": https://wnyt.com/top-stories/new-wadsworth-center-laboratory-reaches-topping-off-milestone-in-albany/
• FingerLakes1, "Steel frame completed at New York's $1.7 billion public health lab": https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2026/10/15/steel-frame-completed-at-new-yorks-1-7-billion-public-health-lab/