On May 24, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) celebrated the groundbreaking for the new home of its Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Midwestern Laboratory in Normandy, Missouri.

The state-of-the-art facility will incorporate and support science and technology to address present and future public health challenges. The facility will also support a deeper commitment to sustainability to help minimize environmental impact while ensuring efficiencies that save taxpayer dollars.

The facility represents the first FSIS laboratory construction in recent years where the agency has been able to participate in the design process from top to bottom to specifically meet its needs. The facility is expected to advance FSIS’ operational excellence, increase overall efficiency due to close proximity to a major airport, and enable FSIS to recruit the next generation of talented employees from St. Louis colleges and universities.

The building is currently under design. Construction site preparation work will start in summer 2023, with site and civil work completed in the fall and building construction in 2024–2025.