The historic New York City Public Health Laboratory has responded to emerging disease outbreaks for 125 years, from diphtheria in 1892 to the current outbreaks of COVID and Monkeypox.
The new state-of-the-art facility adjacent to Harlem Hospital will offer modern, upgraded facilities and sustainable design.
July 6, 2022 – City officials today “break ground” on the new New York City Public Health Laboratory, which will be located adjacent to the Harlem Hospital complex on 137th Street. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is managing the construction of what will be a state-of-the-art facility operated by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and charged with protecting and promoting the health of all New Yorkers and keeping the city at the forefront of disease response and research.
“We cannot afford to wait for the next pandemic to strengthen our public health infrastructure,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “The New York City Public Health Laboratory will bring a state-of-the-art facility to Harlem to serve and protect the public health of all New Yorkers. I look forward to working with DOHMH and NYCEDC to build this leading laboratory in the nation to maintain safe and healthy New Yorkers for generations to come.
“New York City PHL is the largest public health laboratory in the world, and throughout our city’s history, the scientists who work there have heroically responded to health emergencies, infectious diseases and are a mainstay of disease prevention and surveillance,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “This vital piece of public health infrastructure demands better physical infrastructure, which this state-of-the-art laboratory complex will have. We are proud that PHL is an embodiment of New York City as the public health capital of the world, and will lead in innovation and training for the next generation of public health laboratory scientists.
“We are working to ensure that our best and brightest have the state-of-the-art facilities they need and deserve to continue their innovative and life-saving efforts on behalf of our city,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “During the pandemic, our scientists have identified faulty test kits, developed new ones, and have never wavered in their efforts to track COVID-19 or other viruses. This new lab will give them the tools and resources they need to identify future health threats.” , while the new lab location will benefit public health equity, which has never been more vital.”
“New York City has one of the best public health labs in the world, and it’s about time their space reflects the caliber of work they do,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “NYC Health + Hospitals is proud to be neighbors and continued collaborative partners in public health.”
“By investing in the New York City Public Health Laboratory, we are investing in world-class research, emergency preparedness and, most importantly, in the health and safety of all New Yorkers,” said Commissioner of DCAS, Dawn M. Pinnock. “At DCAS, our entire mission is to make city government work for all New Yorkers, and we firmly believe that public health resources like this lab will benefit us all. We look forward to the future ribbon cutting and holding of a more sustainable and energy-efficient facility. We are pleased to support our sister agencies, including the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC Health + Hospitals, and the NYC Economic Development Corporation, in this effort.”
“The New York City Public Health Laboratory will redefine the city’s frontline defense against pandemics and other health threats,” said Mustafa Abadan, design partner at SOM. “With its mission to protect the health of more than 8 million New Yorkers from new and familiar health threats, it is hard to imagine a more important and timely project than the new New York City Public Health Laboratory. SOM is grateful to be part of a great project team that contributes to the advancement of the vital purpose of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene”.
“Skanska is honored to be the construction partner on this project, which marks this key milestone,” said Theodora Diamantis, vice president and account manager for Skanska USA Building. “This opening is an exciting time for New York City and the Harlem community as it comes one step closer to reinforcing the City’s focus on protecting and promoting mental health and wellness.”
The 10-story, 240,000-square-foot building, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was designed with staff well-being in mind and will meet New York City’s ambitious new resiliency and sustainability standards. The $454 million building will be designed to meet LEED version 4 Silver and be a resilient structure with all critical building systems located above the current 100-year floodplain.
DOHMH and NYCEDC secured $25 million from the Department of City Administrative Services (DCAS) to make the new lab one of the most energy efficient, sustainable and high-tech in the country. Some of the energy conservation measures at the new Public Health Laboratory will be ultra-efficient laboratory equipment, photovoltaic solar panels, and cool beams. It will also have a cogeneration plant that will provide significant energy and economic savings.
The new Public Health Laboratory participated in the City’s 80×50 program, which commits to achieving an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.
The New York City Public Health Laboratory was the world’s first municipal bacteriological laboratory. In the century since its first campaign to control diphtheria in New York City, the Public Health Laboratory has expanded to provide a variety of clinical and environmental laboratory testing services to detect and characterize disease-causing organisms.
Since the 1960s, the Public Health Laboratory has occupied 11 floors of a 335,000-square-foot, 14-story building, across from Bellevue Hospital at 455 First Avenue. The Public Health Laboratory has expanded over the years, and the more than 200 staff members now provide a variety of clinical and environmental laboratory testing services including community testing for tuberculosis and sexual health-associated diseases; antibiotic resistance tests; foodborne illness investigations; outbreak response (Ebola, Legionnaires’ disease, COVID-19, monkeypox); whole genome sequencing; monitoring of pathogens in beach waters and wastewater; and biological threat agent testing.
Construction of the new building began in June 2022 following the demolition of three existing buildings and is expected to be ready for occupancy in 2026.
MEDIA CONTACT: Patrick Gallahue / Michael Lanza (DOHMH) PressOffice@health.nyc.gov>
