CDC plans $400 million expansion

By Craig Schneider

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to offer up to a $400 million bump to the local construction economy, officials said.

CDC officials say they plan to spend up to $300 million to build two multi-story research buildings and expand parking lots at the agency’s Chamblee campus on Buford Highway.

Each building will be about 10 stories tall, and the existing parking decks will expand by about 700 vehicle spaces, said George Chandler, CDC director of buildings and facilities.

The agency has received partial funding for the project and expects to receive final word in the fall on additional money.

The buildings, each of which will hold about 250 employees, will not contain biolabs. They will conduct research on chronic diseases and birth defects.

In addition, the CDC recently started construction on a $93 million research support building at its Clifton Road facility in Atlanta.

The agency said the new building should be finished in 2011.

Referred to as the “Building 24 Project, “ it will have 12 floors plus a mechanical penthouse, and will house about 1,100 CDC public health workers. The anticipated move-in date is fall 2011, officials said.