United States Senator Robert Byrd, a democrat from West Virginia, has announced the construction of a new Biometrics Technology Center to be built on the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division campus in Clarksburg. The new building, which is estimated to cost $328 million, will encompass 360,000 square feet, four stories in height and will double the capacity on the campus.

Created as a joint effort between the FBI and the Department of Defense, the new center is expected to push biometric technology in the field of criminal justice, border control and homeland security through its dedication to research and development, however, Byrd also cited the excitement of bringing new construction work to his state. Some of the specific technologies expected to benefit from the new biometrics center include DNA, iris, palm print and facial recognition-based biometric systems. The expected completion date of the center is set for 2013.