Construction begins on Brookhaven Lab's tech hub, Discovery Park

Construction began Wednesday on Discovery Park — the first phase of a public-private economic development hub that would link tech entrepreneurs across Long Island with researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Plans call for a 75,000-square-foot Science and User Support Center that will serve as a welcome center for researchers, facility users, and guests at the federal science facility, as well as an office and meeting space for about 250 Brookhaven Lab employees, state officials said.

The $86.2 million project, which is funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Science, is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, according to state officials.

"Long Island is a long-established hub for transformative technology and the Brookhaven National Laboratory is a natural home for Discovery Park," Kevin Law, board chairman of Empire State Development, which is supporting the project with $1.8 million in capital grants, said in a statement. "This center of scientific research and STEM education will help to advance New York State’s strategic economic development strategies by strengthening workforce development, accelerating scientific breakthroughs, and catalyzing industry growth.”

In September 2020, officials announced plans for Discovery Park, noting that it would carve out about 60 acres at the Upton lab's 5,321-acre campus for a commercial research hub with conference centers, housing for visitors and other facilities. Plans also called for the construction of 600,000 square feet of buildings, which would be leased by users.

Laboratory officials have described the project as a "transformational" effort to enhance the role of Brookhaven's high-tech research in the development of everything from medicine to cellphone batteries.

"Long Island is home to pioneering institutions that have been crucial to unlocking state-of-the-art discoveries while attracting top-tier researchers and scientists," said Empire State Development President and Chief Executive Hope Knight, in a statement. "Brookhaven Lab’s Discovery Park will further elevate the region as a powerful commercial scientific innovation hub."

Brookhaven Laboratory employs more than 2,500 full-time workers and hosts 5,000 visiting researchers annually, officials said.

Long Island officials have long envisioned a tech corridor that would link local research institutions, such as Brookhaven Lab, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Stony Brook University and the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, in an effort to compete with California's Silicon Valley.

In February, Brookhaven Laboratory awarded a $61.8 million contract to Plainview-based E.W. Howell to build and oversee the new Science and User Support Center.

Late phases of construction include a hotel to replace existing dormitory facilities and private commercial space for offices and labs.

Lab officials have said about 200,000 square feet of existing buildings, most dating to World War II, when the property was used as a military training center, will be demolished to make room for new construction. Many buildings scheduled for demolition provide temporary housing for visiting scientists.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.