Scott Gibson, executive vice dean for administration in the Duke School of Medicine, has prepared the following announcement about the University's plans to contruct a Medical Sciences Research Building III.
Over Memorial Day Weekend, site work in anticipation of approval to construct a new research building on Research Drive will begin. The new building will be located between the Occupational & Environmental Safety Building and the Medical Sciences Research Building II. Once approval is received, construction will begin and is expected to conclude in the summer/fall of 2018. This new building will be approximately 142,000 gross square feet and will be designed for bench lab research.
You are invited to an informal informational session on May 26, 2016, from 4:00-5:00 p.m. in MSRB1 Room 001 to learn more about the plans and potential impacts in the area of the site prep and anticipated construction of this new building.
With a project of this scope, we expect there to be occasional issues with traffic congestion, impact on some parking, and increased noise from construction equipment at times; however, we will work with our construction partners to minimize inconveniences to individuals working in facilities along Research Drive.
This is an important and exciting project for the School of Medicine. For quite some time we have had a significant shortage of bench lab research space. The School’s last major research building was built in 2006. We have utilized leased space in downtown Durham for some of our needs, but the long term sustainability of our research mission requires additional campus space. Decisions have not been made regarding occupants of the building.