U of M issues RFP for new Veterinary Isolation Lab

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With help from state bonding money, the University of Minnesota is proceeding with plans to replace a 1950s-era veterinary facility on the St. Paul campus with a modern new lab.

The U of M, which received $18 million for the Veterinary Isolation Lab in the 2015 bonding bill, put out a request for proposals this week for a construction manager at-risk. The plan is to build a 27,000-square-foot structure on the site of the existing facilities at 1346 Gortner Ave. in St. Paul.

Construction manager at-risk proposals are due Aug. 10, followed by an interview process and selection of a construction manager at-risk in September, according to the RFP.

Paula Buchner, chief operating officer for the College of Veterinary Medicine, said it will be the only facility of its kind in the state.

“Having this kind of facility will strengthen Minnesota’s competitiveness to attract world-class faculty and compete for federal research grants in the area of animal infectious diseases,” she said.

The project’s estimated cost is $27 million, but it could rise to $29.5 million if the U of M adds a rodent housing facility, said Buchner.

“We have that [rodent housing] in another aging facility, and that will have to be replaced at some point,” she said. “We were looking at the economics of whether it makes sense to add that facility adjacent to the large animal facility.”

A decision on the rodent housing will be made later in the design process, she said.

U of M officials said in the RFP that the project will protect the health of humans and livestock, and help the College of Veterinary Medicine become a leader in infectious disease research.

In documents supporting its state bonding request, the university said infectious diseases have cost the state “millions” of dollars in lost livestock, and that the existing buildings suffer from deteriorating floor surfaces and deficient systems.

Minneapolis-based Alliiance, the project’s architect, completed a 358-page predesign report in late June. The U of M’s Board of Regents also reviewed the design in June.

Mamie Harvey, principal for Alliiance, said the goal is to finalize schematic design toward the end of October, then move into the four-month design development phase. Construction is expected to start in July 2016, with occupancy in late 2017.

The existing facility includes holding rooms, showers, storage space and more in two non-code-compliant buildings, which were built in 1958, according to according to the predesign report.

The current heating system requires the entire building to be one temperature, which creates problems for research on different animal species.

“The existing buildings have been really challenging in supporting the research that they need to do,” Harvey said.

Trevor Ames, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said last fall that most universities with veterinary colleges have much newer buildings.

According to the RFP, the project will include a new bio-containment facility, with 10,000 square feet for large animals and 20,000 square feet for high-level lab spaces.

Estimated project costs include $20.876 million for construction, $2.859 million for professional fees, and $4 million for contingency, $899,000 for project management fees and $700,000 for interior furniture and equipment, according to the predesign report.

More than 40 researchers in the College of Veterinary Medicine focus on infectious diseases.