A joint venture of Gilbane Building Co. and Turner Construction has teamed on another major project in New York State.
The JV topped out the $1.7 billion Wadsworth Center Laboratory in Albany, New York, a new facility dedicated to public health, according to a Wednesday announcement from Turner. Architect HOK designed the project.
The five-story, 663,000-square-foot laboratory is the largest construction project in the history of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, the state’s public finance and construction authority, according to the news release. The JV began construction on the lab in January.
The project’s structural steel frame consists of more than 8,200 major steel components, which total approximately 5,545 tons, per the release.
Once the structure is complete, it will house five existing New York State Department of Health laboratory locations currently spread across the state’s Capital Region under one roof, the announcement said.
Healthcare construction projects have been a small boon for builders as of late. Amid an economic environment that seems to prioritize data centers and related infrastructure, the sector has quietly helped boost builders’ planning numbers.
“Reaching the topping out milestone is a tremendous accomplishment for our entire project team and a testament to the dedication, craftsmanship, and collaboration with trade partners and the skilled tradespeople,” said Carl Stewart, vice president and general manager at Turner, in the announcement.
Indeed, this is not the first collaboration between Turner and Gilbane on a prominent project in the Empire State. The two firms worked together to deliver Highmark Stadium, the $2.1 billion home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, finalizing delivery of the project in June. The Bills selected the JV in November 2022, and the construction team broke ground in June 2023.
