GALVESTON, Texas -- Almost two months since Hurricane Ike struck Galveston, ripping the island apart, University of Texas Medical Branch officials said Tuesday that it has a reason to celebrate, KPRC Local 2 reported.

A brand new building at the university is the Galveston National Laboratory, a state-of-the-art bio lab. It was finished on time, despite the storm.

Native Galvestonian Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison came for the dedication.

"This is a good news day for the country," said Hutchison. "It really shows the spirit of Texas."

The new lab will be used to do research studying infectious diseases like SARS, tuberculosis and the West Nile virus.

The goal is to find ways to stop these diseases from spreading.

It is the first national lab of its kind in the country.

"It's going to be very important for national protection and the security of our people," said Hutchison.

For people who are still trying to rebuild from Ike, the lab is a sign of hope --hope that Galveston can come back new and improved.

"I think it will be better after all the renovations we are doing," said Chris Forto, a Galveston resident.

The building itself took six years to design and build, and cost more than $160 million.

Dr. Stanley Lemon will be the new director, leading an elite team of scientists.

"For those of us here at UTMB, it is a proud day," he said.