A vacant former laboratory building in Winnipeg’s inner city is being transformed into a state of the art infectious diseases research centre.
A vacant former laboratory building in Winnipeg's inner city is being transformed into a state of the art infectious diseases research centre.
Work is well underway on the Public Health Agency of Canada's (PHAC) new J.C. Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre. The impetus for the new project is that the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML), which is only a couple of blocks away, has run out of space. The new building will augment the work of the NML.
The original structure on the site was built in 1979. It served as a material testing and chemistry laboratory for the province. The facility has been vacant since May 2006 and was purchased by PHAC in January 2008.
The project received funding for about $68 million consisting of $42 million in capital funds and $26 million for operating costs.
The construction costs will be about $23 million, which is included in the capital budget.
The remaining $19 million includes the original purchase cost of the building, the purchase of equipment and furniture, as well as project management costs.
The architect is Smith Carter Architects and Engineers Inc., a firm with a great deal of expertise in the design of medical research centres.
The contractor is PCL Constructors Canada Inc.
A press release from Public Works Canada reports that the original building was gutted and is being rebuilt.
The interior walls have been demolished and its obsolete mechanical and electrical systems are being replaced.
The building envelope also will be repaired, new security and life safety systems installed, and landscaping upgraded.
The project envelope consists of refurbished aluminum panels, curtainwall, zinc panels and clay tile rainscreen.
The building will be upgraded to meet LEED standards.
The new facility will be composed primarily of labs built to Level 2 Health Canada bio-containment standards.
The NML, by comparison, is a Level 4 infectious diseases research centre and the only one of its kind in Canada.
The new lab will operate within the NML program as part of the PHAC’s Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch.
The J.C. Wilt lab will provide additional space for research and vaccine development and will provide increased capacity to respond to new emerging disease issues and improves Canada’s ability to prepare for and respond in a public health emergency.
The lab is scheduled to become operational by February 2013.
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