FDA Opens Irvine Laboratory and District Office

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has opened a new regional headquarters that includes the agency's district office and a modern, multi-purpose laboratory. The new regional headquarters, which completes the FDA’s consolidation of 18 outdated laboratories around the country, is located in Irvine, Calif., and will serve the Southwest Pacific Region. Situated on a 10-acre plot purchased from the University of California, the facility will replace a 50-year-old lab in Los Angeles and the district office currently located in Irvine. Its 135,000 gsf will accommodate both the district office and laboratories that will test one quarter of the imported food shipments FDA tests every year.

The new labs are equipped for analytical work including food chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, medical device engineering, entomology, drugs, pesticides, and spectrometry. This 47,580-sf district office will include a large conference room, hearing rooms, and a library. The $40+ million facility was designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership of Los Angeles in joint venture with the engineering team of Henningson Durham and Richardson of Omaha. The construction quality management firm was Gilbane Building Company and the construction contractor was Hensel Phelps Construction Company. The district office and laboratory personnel will move into the new headquarters by the end of July.