West Virginia
Work to begin on $250 million state laboratories facility in South Charleston
A 200,000-square-foot, $250 million West Virginia State Laboratories building will soon begin taking shape on a 14-acre site at the West Virginia Regional Technology Park in South Charleston, following a dedication ceremony at the construction site on April 30, 2024. The new structure will bring seven laboratories now operated by five state agencies. The Department of Health’s Office of Laboratory Services, which now operating in three locations including a 70-year-old building in South Charleston and two labs in a former elementary school building in Elkview. Among other things, the labs analyze drinking water quality and test medical cannabis for chemical or bacterial impurities. The Division of Labor’s Office of Weights and Measures lab, now located in cramped quarters in St. Albans. Forensic labs operated by the West Virginia State Police and the Department of Homeland Security.