If all goes as planned, a new state public health lab will be built within Providence's Innovation District.
The I-195 Redevelopment District Commission have voted to designate a parcel at the corner of Clifford and Richmond streets as the new home of the Rhode Island State Health Lab.
The current lab, a 1970s-era Chapin Building on Orms Street, is cramped, outdated and suffers from mechanical problems. However, it's the only Level 3 biosafety facility in Rhode Island, meaning that it's designed to contain airborne bacteria, viruses, and toxins. The new lab would also have a biocontainment capability.
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The developer will be chosen through a competitive process. The Rhode Island Commerce Corp. will issue an RFP for an 80,000 square-foot lab facility to be occupied by the state lab and a private lab tenant. Typically, the 1-195 Commission would issue its own RFP, but in this case, it proposes to offer the 1.07-acre lot to a developer selected through the Commerce process.
The lot would change hands for one dollar, but the buyer must pay a $25,000 deposit with the purchase agreement, an additional $25,000 deposit following due diligence, a $75,000 third-party expense deposit to be replenished as needed. A non-refundable application fee would be payable upon final construction approval.
The commission envisions a three-year construction window with work to begin within 30 days of closing. In order to close the deal, the developer must secure all construction permits, have financing in place, and execute all necessary agreements with the state.
State Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott and Gov. Dan McKee have proposed using $82 million of the state's $1.1 billion American Rescue Plan funds to construct a new state lab.
Alexander-Scott has said the need for a new lab became apparent during the pandemic, the Providence Journal reported. In addition to state Department of Health operations, the state health lab hosts the medical examiner's office, state crime lab and environmental testing labs.
