McKee announces site, developer for new state health lab

THE STATE ON TUESDAY ANNOUNCED its pick for the $85 million state health lab, which will be built on a vacant 1.07-acre site at the corner of Richmond and Clifford streets. / COURTESY GOOGLE MAPS

PROVIDENCE – An empty parking lot in Providence’s I-195 Redevelopment District will house the state’s new public health lab.

Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Tuesday announced the state’s pick for location and developer for the $82 million State Health Laboratory. The winning proposal, from Ancora L&G, calls for a 212,200-square foot, seven-story building at the corner of Richmond and Clifford Streets. As proposed, the R.I. Department of Health will anchor the building, using 80,00 square feet for a new laboratory to replace its aging Orms Street facility.

AN EMPTY LOT AT the corner of Richmond and Clifford Streets in Providence has been chosen as the site for the new state health lab. / COURTESY I-195 REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT

The new lab features a “more modern and technologically advanced workspace” to test and research infectious diseases and conduct environmental and forensic testing, the release stated. It will also include a Biosafety Level 3 Facility, like the Orms Street lab.

Brown University will lease another 20,000 square feet, according to an agreement signed with the developer, to complement its rapidly expanding health and life sciences presence in the area. The rest of the building would be available for academics and biotechnology companies to use, the release stated.

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Ancora L&G, a partnership between UK-based financial services group Legal & General Capital and North Carolina developer Ancora, was chosen as the developer through a competitive bidding process in which eight companies responded, with the state later narrowing the field to four finalists. The 1.07-acre site Ancora plans to use is the same one that RIDOH originally suggested to build a state health lab, though the process was later put out to bid for other companies to respond with other locations and designs.

Building ownership will follow a condominium model, with the state owning the portion dedicated to its new health lab, and Ancora retaining ownership of the remaining private lab space.

Funding for the state health lab comes from a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant, although the entire project will cost $165 million, the release stated.

The proposal still requires approval from the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission, which will hear Ancora pitch their design at a meeting on Oct. 19.

Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.

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