A Vision for Growth

The Health Sciences Campus, as seen from above. (Photo by Gary Gold)

ALBANY, N.Y. (January 20, 2017) — The Health Sciences Campus will be getting a major overhaul with the help of a $4 million grant from the Governor’s Regional Economic Development Council (REDC).

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the grants on Thursday, Dec. 8.

In the summer, the real estate division of the University at Albany Foundation — the University at Albany Bioscience Development Corporation (UABDC), a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the University — applied for the REDC grant. Ten regions of the state compete for grant funding and each region is awarded money for dozens of proposals. The UABDC’s award of $4 million was the third largest in New York state and will support infrastructure improvements and building upgrades on the Health Sciences Campus in East Greenbush.

Laura Schweitzer, vice president for Health Sciences and Biomedical Initiatives, said the grant will bring major improvements to the Health Sciences Campus. (Photo by Mark Schmidt)

The University-occupied space was renamed the Health Science Campus in the fall, in recognition that the Campus as a whole contains the highest concentration of individual private and public health science-related entities in the Capital Region.

The improvements will enable UABDC to retain the existing health science related occupants, and assist the University in attracting other health science companies. The campus has a growing reputation as a prime spot for health-related collaborations – where academia, government and the private sector can work together to shape the health care industry for today and the future.

Targeted for improvements are the Cancer Research Center, constructed in 2003-2004, and the former Sterling Winthrop campus, which dates to the 1950s and 1960s. Improvements include restoring and upgrading the aging facilities and assisting with tenant space fit-up needs. Planned work includes utility system restoration and upgrades; mechanical system improvements; building envelope integrity; fit-out for shell space occupancy; regulatory compliance improvements; storm-water management improvements; and parking lot replacement.

“Our vision is that our Health Sciences Campus will be a state-of-the-art epicenter for the emerging regional healthcare industry,” said Vice President for Health Sciences and Biomedical Initiatives Laura Schweitzer, who is also the incoming interim dean of the School of Public Health. “This funding will help us achieve that vision by improving our existing facilities. It will also lay the groundwork to add new facilities and occupants that will leverage the expertise of UAlbany’s health-related academic programs and stimulate economic growth while cultivating new opportunities for faculty and students.”

For more news, subscribe to UAlbany's RSS headline feeds