A 200,000-square-foot, $250 million West Virginia State Laboratories building will soon begin taking shape on a 14-acre site at the West Virginia Regional Technology Park in South Charleston, following a dedication ceremony at the construction site on April 30, 2024. The new structure will bring seven laboratories now operated by five state agencies. The Department of Health s Office of Laboratory Services, which now operating in three locations including a 70-year-old building in South Charleston and two labs in a former elementary school building in Elkview. Among other things, the labs analyze drinking water quality and test medical cannabis for chemical or bacterial impurities. The Division of Labor s Office of Weights and Measures lab, now located in cramped quarters in St. Albans. Forensic labs operated by the West Virginia State Police and the Department of Homeland Security.