DGS Delivers New Central Laboratory for DFS and OCME

July 23, 2026

In June, the Department of General Services (DGS) joined the Department of Forensic Science (DFS) and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the Commonwealth’s new Central Laboratory in Hanover County. The event marked the culmination of a multiyear effort to deliver a modern, flexible, and expandable headquarters for both agencies.

The 281,425 square foot facility replaced the longtime DFS/OCME home in the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park, where both agencies had been co-located since 1998. As caseloads and staffing needs increased, DGS partnered with DFS and OCME to evaluate renovation options and ultimately determined that expansion at the Richmond site was not feasible. In 2018, the Commonwealth purchased a 25-acre property in Mechanicsville, launching the planning and design process for a new facility capable of supporting long-term growth.

The DGS Division of Construction Management oversaw the architectural design by SFCS and MWL—firms nationally recognized for their expertise in public safety and forensic facilities—and managed construction by Skanska. The resulting four-story building was designed to achieve a two Green Globes sustainability certification and to support decades of scientific and medicolegal advancements.

The event was attended by state and local leaders, underscoring the facility’s importance to public health and public safety. Governor Abigail Spanberger noted that the new laboratory strengthened the Commonwealth’s ability to support criminal investigations and protect Virginia families, while DFS Director Linda Jackson and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. William Gormley emphasized how the building’s thoughtful design and enhanced capabilities would support staff wellbeing and operational efficiency for years to come. The Hanover County Central Laboratory also represented the latest achievement in a more than 20-year partnership between DGS, DFS, and OCME—one that has delivered modernized facilities across the Northern, Eastern, and Western regions. With this new headquarters, DGS continued its mission of providing high-quality, sustainable facilities that help Virginia’s public safety agencies serve the Commonwealth.

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