North Carolina Construction News staff writer
Skanska recently celebrated the topping out of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (NC DEQ) Reedy Creek Laboratory project in Raleigh. The milestone marks the significant construction progress on the $65 million renovation and expansion project. Construction is ongoing while the department’s research and lab operations continue at the facility.
The multi-phase project includes a new 33,000-sq. ft. administration and visitor’s center that will seamlessly connect the existing chemistry and water quality buildings, and the renovation of 53,000 square feet of space across the existing chemistry, water quality, and air quality buildings to create modular laboratory spaces, modern offices, research zones and new conference areas.
A new courtyard is also being constructed to enhance the campus’s outdoor environment. Also, a key component of the renovation involves repurposing a portion of the existing air quality building into a central energy plant to provide mechanical and electrical systems for the entire campus.
“This is critically important and complex lab modernization work taking place right in the heart of Raleigh and we are proud to work with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to make this happen while maintaining full operational continuity for the researchers and scientists who are working to create a safer, healthier North Carolina,” said Mark Balling, executive vice president of Skanska USA Building’s Mid-Atlantic region.
Skanska broke ground on the project in March 2025. Construction is expected to be completed in January 2028.