“[We’re] going forward to improve the healthcare delivery for Houston and quite frankly the region,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said at the Nov. 20 groundbreaking. “We need days like today to celebrate our progress [and] a health department that is meeting its challenges.”
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The project is a public-private collaboration between commercial real estate agency Amelang Partners Inc., the city of Houston and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a Nov. 17 news release from the city.
Located at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center campus at 2250 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, the two-story Holcombe Lab will focus on testing for infectious diseases, including avian influenza, measles and mpox, per the release.
Additionally, the laboratory will track foodborne illnesses and health care-associated infections.
HHD Director Theresa Tran said the expansion will allow for shorter wait times for test results, broader specialized testing services and stronger support for other facilities that depend on the department’s resources.
“This collaboration, thanks to all of you, allows the Houston Health Department to expand our operations within the VA campus, bringing cutting-edge laboratory services close to veterans and ensuring seamless coordination between the city and federal health agencies,” Tran said.
More details
The facility will serve as a regional reference laboratory for 17 counties in the Texas Public Health Region 6/5 South and serve as a member of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Laboratory Response Network, per the release.
The partnership is made possible through VA department’s Enhanced-Use Lease Program, which allows private entities—in this case Amelang Partners Inc.—to develop VA property for public benefit.
“As a council member at-large and a veteran—I served during the Vietnam era—I’ve learned that real protection, whether on the battlefield or in the public service, comes from investing in things just like this,” Houston City Council member Willie Davis said at the groundbreaking event.
Looking forward
Construction is set to wrap up by summer 2026 and will cost approximately $11.4 million, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
