This morning, our team set the final structural steel on the 40,000-square-foot, multi-story Central Environmental Laboratory expansion for Hampton Roads Sanitation District in Virginia Beach. This event marked a major milestone, and one that carried more weight than a typical topping out.
This project is under construction adjacent to a fully operational laboratory. Every day, testing continued inside the existing facility while construction progressed just feet away, requiring careful planning, tight sequencing, and continuous coordination among the entire team. It was not just about putting steel in the air; it was about doing it without interrupting the crucial work taking place within the existing facility.
The final beam was delivered last week and staged in a safe, accessible area until it was lifted to its permanent home today. Over the course of the week, the HRSD, PC Construction, CDM Smith teams, alongside office and lab staff and trade partners, all took part in memorializing this moment. By the time the beam was lifted, it was filled with signatures, notes, and a few creative drawings. What might look like graffiti was really a record of the people behind the work.
This moment is also a reflection of the team behind the project. This work is being led by a Virginia Beach-based team that lives and works in this community. There is pride in delivering a project like this for HRSD and for the region we call home. That beam reflected the team effort it took to get here, the early mornings, the problem solving, and the shared commitment to keep the lab running while building its future.
As the project moves beyond steel and into the next phase, the focus remains the same. Maintain operations. Stay coordinated. Execute the work. This topping out was a moment worth recognizing, but it also served as a reminder of what it takes to build critical infrastructure the right way.
Upon completion, the facility will house eight BSL-1 laboratory spaces dedicated to specialized testing – from PFAS detection to nutrients digestion – along with collaboration space and a locker room. The new addition will be connected to the existing central environmental laboratory facility, which will be fully renovated and repurposed for administration and support space. The upgraded facility will serve as a critical hub for environmental testing and water quality assurance for nearly 2 million residents across 20 counties and cities in southeastern Virginia.