Construction advances on Health Sciences Research Building as steel arrives

Almost 1,600 tons of steel has now been delivered to the construction site of Wayne State University's $200 million, 160,000-square-foot Health Sciences Research Building (HSRB) and workers have begun moving beams into place.

The HSRB will be located across from the School of Medicine. A 180-foot-long pedestrian bridge that will connect to Scott Hall is also being fabricated on the site and is expected to be moved into place around the end of August. The bridge and a dedicated walkway to the Elliman Research Building will provide seamless connectivity and support collaborations between basic scientists, clinicians, educators and students.

The steel was delivered by Ideal Contracting of Detroit, and for Ideal's project manager, Adam deHagen, it's a particularly meaningful job.

"I'm a graduate of the Wayne State construction management program, so it's great to be involved in a project on campus and to help bring something like this to life."

A dedicated webcam allows the campus community to watch the project take shape. Viewing options include a live feed in either standard or panoramic view, as well as time-lapse video of all the progress since October's groundbreaking.

The five-story HSRB will serve as a biomedical research hub where Wayne State health scientists can unite their expertise to address complex health issues.

The project team includes Kramer Management as the owner's representative, HKS Architects & Designers, Osborn Engineering, the Christman Company construction firm, and Wayne State University's Facilities Planning and Management.

Project completion is targeted for early 2028. Watch this animation of what the HSRB will look like when occupied.