LAKEWOOD, COLO. — The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have broken ground on a $228 million food lab in Lakewood, a southwestern suburb of Denver.
According to Colorado Politics, the site is located within Denver Federal Center, a complex that spans 4 million square feet of space across 90 buildings. The complex houses operations of 28 federal agencies representing some 6,200 employees, according to the local publication.
The new food lab will include 16,500 square feet of new lab space for microbiology functions and 14,000 square feet for chemistry initiatives. The facility will be used to support the FDA’s management of foodborne illness outbreaks and ensure product safety for food, drugs and cosmetics. Completion is slated for 2029.
The exterior design of the facility will feature a neoclassical style that reflects President Donald Trump’s executive order to “making federal architecture beautiful again.” The interior of the facility will include controlled access and a sustained directional airflow system. Additionally, the property will be the FDA’s only Biosafety Level 3 facility west of the Mississippi River.
“Laboratories are vital to the FDA’s mission to ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply,” says Kyle Diamantas, the FDA’s acting commissioner. “The groundbreaking of this modernized facility represents an investment in our future, better enabling FDA to advance its food safety priorities and other strategic commitments aimed at elevating the health and wellness of Americans.”
— Taylor Williams