Rhode Island Cuts Ribbon on HOK-Designed Public Health Lab in Providence

The 212,000-sq.-ft. building houses the new State Health Laboratories and will soon contain Rhode Island’s first life science incubator and biotechnology space for lease.

On Oct. 17, Gov. Dan McKee was joined by dignitaries and representatives of Rhode Island’s 195 District, a 26-acre neighborhood and innovation district in downtown Providence that was formerly a stretch of I-195, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new facility. HOK provided programming, lab planning, architecture, structural engineering and facade consulting for the seven-story building at 150 Richmond, developed by Ancora Legal & General and constructed by Dimeo Construction. It is the eighth building completed in the 195 District.

The Rhode Island Department of Health’s State Laboratories occupy 80,000 square feet as the anchor tenant, financed by an $81.7 million Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A catalyst for the project was the COVID-19 pandemic, which “made it clear that preparedness is key when public health emergencies strike,” as then-U.S. Rep Jim Langevin said during the building’s 2022 groundbreaking.

Like the state lab’s former location, 150 Richmond houses a highly secure Biosafety Level 2 and 3 facility equipped to perform environmental, forensic, chemical and biological testing. The new lab’s larger, modern space and upgraded technology better position the State Health Laboratories to respond quickly to emerging threats and to apply tools such as genome sequencing.

The building will also house Ocean State Labs, Rhode Island’s first life science incubator, powered by Portal Innovations with financial support from the RI Life Science Hub, the 195 District and Brown University. Ocean State Labs recently announced the first five startups that will move into the wet-lab incubator when it opens in early 2026. In addition to the State Health Laboratories and incubator, the building will have three floors available for lease by private companies.

“Growing the life sciences sector is one of the most important opportunities for Rhode Island’s economic future,” said Marc Crisafulli, chair of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission. “150 Richmond adds more than just square footage—it adds momentum. It adds jobs. It adds vitality. And it continues to fill in the fabric of the 195 District, which is quickly becoming one of the most dynamic places to live, work and innovate in New England.”