Alabama Department of Public Health Building New Facilities in Prattville
$30 million project bringing laboratory, training center to Legends Park
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is bringing a multi-million dollar investment to the City of Prattville.
Acting State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris says the department is building two new facilities at Legends Park. One, a state-of-the-art clinical laboratory, the other, a training center.
In all, it will be about a $30 million project.
“That’ll include some of our bureaus from the department, including emergency medical services, radiation control and emergency preparedness,” said Dr. Scott Harris, Acting State Health Officer, Alabama Dept. of Public Health.
It’s a move that will bring 175 jobs to Prattville and thousands more people to the area throughout the year for healthcare training.
The new development at Legends Park at Home Place will spread across over 12 acres and it will also overlook the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course.
That location, Prattville Mayor Bill Gillespie, Jr. says, is a big seller.
“I think we’re ideally located,” said Mayor Gillespie, Jr. “We have a lot of the amenities people are looking for, business or individuals.”
It could prove to be an economic catalyst giving the Department of Public Health room to add more jobs.
“One of the things that we like to do at the Chamber is provide those jobs for the workforce, knowing that we can create that in the community which will spur some growth,” said Patty VanderWal, President, Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s just going to be a very good boost for this economy over here in Elmore County/Prattville,” said Mayor Gillespie, Jr
The new laboratory will replace the Alabama Department of Public Health’s outdated 1970s-era building in Montgomery.
Officials say they plan to break ground on the two new facilities in the summer of 2018. Completion of the new buildings is slated for late 2019.
The ADPH Bureau of Clinical Laboratories affects the lives of nearly every citizen of the state. Responsibilities range from screening every baby born in the state for specific genetic disorders and determining the causative agents of foodborne disease outbreaks, to testing water for bacteria and assisting the FBI with investigations involving biological or chemical terrorism.
