Cleveland Clinic opens 2 research buildings: Projects finish 3 months early, under budget
An exterior image of two new Cleveland Clinic research buildings that recently opened. The work was performed under a Project Labor Agreement and created jobs for roughly 400 affiliated members of the Cleveland Building Trades.
Two new Cleveland Clinic research buildings, constructed under Project Labor Agreements by affiliated members of the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council, opened on Sept. 2, roughly three months ahead of schedule.
Not only did building trades members complete the project early, but they also worked efficiently, bringing it home under budget.
The buildings, located on the health system’s Main Campus at the intersection of East 100th Street and Cedar Avenue, total 300,000 square feet and mark what the Clinic called the largest research investment in its more than 100-year history.
Together, they house more than700 employees and nearly 30 laboratories and core service areas that support high-level scientific work and computational research, while increasing capacity for scientific discovery.
The northeast building totals approximately 170,000 square feet and houses a variety of specialized laboratories, including the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Global Center for Pathogen and Human Health Research. It is also home to several of the Clinic’s fastest-growing research programs.
The northwest building, at approximately 120,000 square feet, is designed for specialty research facilities and core services.
“These buildings will accelerate scientific discovery while strengthening Cleveland as a destination for healthcare, research and innovation,” said Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, M.D., holder of the Morton L. Mandel CEO Chair. This is an important milestone for the future of healthcare in our region and beyond.”
Construction began in February 2023 under a PLA, and according to Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary/Business Manager Dave Wondolowski, the project created about 400 jobs for affiliated building trades members.
Members of Iron Workers Local 17 set the final steel beam during an Aug. 19, 2025, topping-off ceremony. Prior to the ceremony, Clinic leaders, researchers and members of the construction crew signed the two final beams of the skyway bridge that spans East 100th Street and connects the buildings.
The projects are another example of the benefits of PLAs, again proving such agreements do not adversely affect the cost of projects.
By using a union-only construction workforce, the Cleveland Clinic benefited from high-quality, efficient work. This allowed Gilbane to turn the building over a quarter early, while ultimately providing savings.
This is due to highly trained and highly skilled building trades members working safely and getting the job done right the first time.
Used by both private and public entities, PLAs are an excellent tool used by project owners and general contractors to complete work on time and on budget
The Cleveland Clinic has utilized PLAs to build and upgrade numerous facilities throughout Northeast Ohio, and the latest results further emphasize their value.
The buildings were designed by Cleveland Clinic Buildings + Design in collaboration with HOK Architects and Vanderweil Engineers. Gilbane Building Company served as construction manager.
The project was made possible by investments from the State of Ohio and JobsOhio as part of the Cleveland Innovation District, a unique public-private initiative that brings together the State, JobsOhio and Cleveland’s healthcare and higher education institutions to drive transformative research, education and job creation and commercialization opportunities in Ohio.
Designed to foster innovation and collaboration, the buildings feature advanced research laboratories, open collaborative areas, classrooms, offices and a café, along with enhanced green space, landscaping and walking paths that create a new entrance to the southeast section of the clinic’s Main Campus.
“With these new facilities, we are creating a bold foundation for the next generation of scientific discovery and medical innovation,” said Cleveland Clinic Chief Research and Academic Officer Serpil Erzurum, M.D. “The buildings are designed to bring scientists, clinicians and innovators together in an environment that accelerates collaboration, advances breakthrough scientific discovery, including high-performance computational research, and helps translate new ideas into better care for patients.”
The research buildings are the latest in a wave of PLA work on the Cleveland Clinic’s Main Campus. In May 2022, the Clinic announced a slate of projects covered by PLAs, including the 1 million-square-foot Neurological Institute and an expansion of the Cole Eye Institute, which created hundreds of jobs for tradesmen and tradeswomen.
Since the Cleveland Innovation District launched, the Clinic said it has created nearly 2,000 new permanent jobs tied to the district, exceeding its goal of 1,000full-time-equivalent positions.