New Building Will Consolidate Multiple West Virginia State Laboratories

Designs by ZMM Architects and Engineers and CannonDesign are underway for a new facility that will bring together under one roof three West Virginia state laboratories and researchers from two universities, creating novel opportunities for collaboration. McClaren, Wilson & Lawrie (MWL) are the lab planners for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and State Police Forensics, and Potesta & Associates are providing civil engineering services. Housed in the new building will be:

• The Department of Health’s Office of Laboratory Services—responsible for analyzing drinking water and medical cannabis—currently dispersed in three locations, including a former elementary school
• The Division of Labor’s Office of Weights and Measures lab, which has outgrown its current location
• Forensic labs operated by the West Virginia State Police and the Department of Homeland Security
• Researchers from Marshall University and West Virginia University

The $250 million, 200,000-sf building will be located in the West Virginia Regional Technology Park, an established research hub with 28 other STEM businesses. Design work is expected to be completed by early 2025, with construction wrapping up by 2027.