**UT Health Science Center Unveils Plans for $300M Public Health Building**
The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston is developing a new public health building within the Texas Medical Center. The 10-story, 350,000-square-foot tower, estimated at $300 million, will include 50,000 to 55,000 square feet of lab space dedicated to handling “moderate-risk” infectious agents. This initiative is part of the UT System’s ongoing commitment to advancing public health research and education.
Construction for the facility began in 2023, with completion expected in 2026. Students are projected to move in during the fall of that year.
The building’s design allocates the fourth and fifth floors to infectious disease and wet labs, while administrative offices will occupy the upper levels. The first three floors will be designated for educational use, including classrooms and an auditorium spanning the second and third floors.
Additionally, the facility will house an insectarium for research on disease-carrying mosquitoes. The laboratories will adhere to CDC specifications for Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2), featuring self-closing doors and sealed windows for safety precautions.
Vaughn Construction is serving as the general contractor for the project.
