State forensics lab arrives in Manassas

A new $62 million, 114,000-square-foot regional forensic science facility opened in Prince William County this week.

The Virginia Department of Forensic Science and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Thursday moved into the new complex across the street from the Prince William Campus of George Mason University outside Manassas.

The two shared offices, located on a 10-acre tract in the Innovation@Prince William County Technology Park, serve 20 jurisdictions in Northern Virginia.

The new facility replaces the state 30,000-square-foot jammed headquarters in Fairfax.

“The department is extremely pleased to move into this advanced space in such an outstanding new building. It is the right environment to do the important work our forensic scientists do every day. We are also very much looking forward to becoming part of the community in Manassas, as well as all of Prince William County,” said Peter Marone, director of the Department of Forensic Science.

Forensic Science takes up about 60,000 square feet and the medical examiner 26,000 square feet, with room to expand for at least the next 10 years. The building can house up to 110 employees, with about one-half of that on site now. There is also a 26,000-square-foot training area, a big improvement over the limited space at the old Fairfax location.

The state-of-the-art forensic science laboratory is one of the first in the United States to have laboratory design features that meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design specifications. LEED certification is a way of measuring whether a building is truly “green” with a low impact on the environment while maximizing the health and well-being of occupants.

At the site, Forensic Science will provide services in controlled substances, toxicology, trace evidence, forensic biology, latent prints and impressions, and firearms. There is also space for law enforcement forensic training programs.

The chief medical examiner’s office includes one of the nation’s first BioSafety Level 3 autopsy suites. The suite will be equipped to deal with some of the most serious infectious diseases. The space is also designed to handle mass fatality emergencies, including operating room space for organ donation.

There is also a death investigation room for scene reconstruction and a morgue for storing up to 200 bodies.

The state-of-the-art complex was designed and built under the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002. The partnership allowed the project to be completed and occupied less than four years after approval by the General Assembly and the governor. It was completed within budget and on time.

The state financed the project with the general contractor being DPR Construction Inc.; McKinney and Company the architect and engineering firm; and forensic architects McLaren, Wilson and Lawrie.

Secretary of Public Safety John Marshall was the keynote speaker at the opening of the new facility on Thursday along with Marone and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Leah Bush.

Staff writer Bennie Scarton Jr. can be reached at 703-369-6707.