Suffolk lawmakers approve design phase of new $150M medical examiner building
Lawmakers want to replace the Suffolk County medical examiner building in Hauppauge. Credit: Rick Kopstein
When the Dr. Sidney B. Weinberg Center for Forensic Sciences opened in Hauppauge in the late 1980s, Suffolk County lawmakers hailed the complex as both state-of-the-art and unmatched in New York State.
Nearly four decades later, officials say the building’s infrastructure is beyond repair as they advance plans to build a new $150.5 million complex to house the county’s medical examiner and crime and toxicology laboratories.
After studying six options, the Department of Public Works recommended constructing a new building at the current Hauppauge site. Last week, the Suffolk Legislature approved a resolution to authorize a $20 million bond for design and engineering costs.
During a presentation Jan. 27 at the Public Works, Transportation and Energy Committee meeting, Chief Deputy Commissioner Michael Monaghan described the medical examiner building as the "most complicated and complex in the county’s inventory." He said its mechanical systems are "past their useful lives."
The department worked with an architecture firm to analyze six designs, ranging from renovating the current building to moving the facility to a new site in Yaphank, Monaghan said.
The new 140,000-square-foot building would be about 36% larger than the current facility, which last underwent "significant renovations" in the early 2000s, Monaghan said.
Charles Bartha, commissioner of the Department of Public Works, said the design phase will likely span a year and a half.
"I think everyone realizes it’s necessary," he told Newsday.
County Executive Edward P. Romaine said in a statement his office has been working with the medical examiner, district attorney’s office and Department of Public Works "on plans that provide necessary upgrades, room for growth and value for the taxpayer."
He added that building a new medical examiner building and crime laboratory "has been a priority since Day One."
The six options ranged from $139.5 million to $163 million. Under the plan, the existing building would be left vacant for renovation and use by other departments, according to the public works department.
Monaghan said the recommended option provides the most "bang for your buck" and would have the least impact on operations during the construction phase. He said the laboratories rely on specialized equipment that must be recalibrated by the original manufacturer anytime it’s moved. He said the building has a "large number of exhaust systems" specialized to deal with chemicals in addition to other air-handling systems. No air in the building is recirculated, he added.
Monaghan said the consultants conducted "extensive interviews with staff" to examine current caseload, potential future caseload and evidence handling to determine the space needed for a new building.
The county’s Medical Forensic Section investigates about 6,200 deaths per year, according to its website, and conducts about 1,300 autopsies.
The new building would increase space for the morgue and cadaver holding area in case of emergencies such as what the county faced during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the recent committee meeting Legis. Chad Lennon (R-Rocky Point) asked Monaghan if it would be a fair assessment to say the county is at a "critical point" after years of "putting Band-Aids" on the current building.
"Yes, sir," Monaghan replied.
Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.
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'I have never been to New York' Jim Vennard, 61, an electrical engineer from Missouri, received a $250 ticket for passing a stopped school bus in Stony Brook, a place he said he has never visited. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.
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