JE Dunn Construction, in a Joint Venture with T.A. Loving Company, completed the new state-of-the-art Steve Troxler Agriculture Sciences Center (ASC) in Raleigh, North Carolina. This 230,000-square-foot complex includes multi-disciplinary laboratories with Bio Safety Levels (BSL) 1-3 and administrative/office spaces. The scope of work included the installation of advanced testing equipment, modern technology, energy efficient features, and unique/functional spaces that optimize workflow. JE Dunn/T.A. Loving also handled the move management of over 40,000 pieces of lab equipment to consolidate multiple divisional labs into one facility.
The Steve Troxler ASC was built with $94 million in Connect NC bond funding approved by North Carolina taxpayers in March 2016. It consolidates and replaces multiple 40-year-old testing facilities used by five (5) divisions under North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS): Food and Drug Protection, Standards/Metrology, Structural Pest Control and Pesticides, Veterinary Diagnostics, and Motor Fuels. It allows NCDA&CS to expand state programs and better serve all North Carolinians going forward, including consumers, farmers, and agribusinesses.
WORKING WITHIN A FINITE BUDGET
Our team was presented with the unique challenge of ensuring that we could deliver a modern facility with advanced labs and testing equipment while operating with a limited, publicly-funded budget. We worked closely with HH Architecture and the Department of Agriculture during the 16-month preconstruction phase, pricing over 150 options to drive value and allow the Department of Agriculture to achieve the desired square footage without sacrificing building function. We also worked with trade partners to identify an additional 8 percent in cost savings after bid.
