ST. LOUIS, MO — KAI 360 Construction Services is providing construction management services on a new forensic crime lab in Jefferson County, Missouri, with Hastings+Chivetta Architects serving as the architect of record. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility was held in Pevely, Missouri. When completed, the new 10,500-square-foot lab will adjoin an existing evidence storage facility on the site.

The $11.5 million facility will reduce the turnaround time for evidence testing for all of the county’s law enforcement agencies. For years, evidence collected in Jefferson County, located about 30 minutes south of St. Louis City, was shipped to the Missouri State Highway Patrol lab for testing, with turnaround times for results ranging from several months to up to a year in some cases.

Jefferson County’s new lab design includes areas for processing DNA evidence, vehicles, fingerprints, drug tests, and firearms. A separate area will be designated for computer crime investigations. The lab is expected to be completed in 2025. K&S Associates Inc. is the general contractor on the project.

“Jefferson County continues to invest in public safety to make sure our citizens are safe, and with this new investment in the crime lab, we will now have the opportunity to prioritize cases from our own community,” Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak said. “This single investment is not only important for the citizens of Jefferson County, but also for the St. Louis region, as we know criminals can traverse boundaries.”