UTICA, N.Y. -- It was an exciting Wednesday at the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory in Utica, with leaders getting to see newly renovated areas on the facility's second and third floors.

The second floor has been transformed into open, modular lab space.

The third floor is a vivarium where they'll keep research mice and rats.

This was phase one - the next phase is expected to be the renovation of their ground floor.

"We will replace the current outdated laboratory facilities with more facilities, the modular laboratory space similar to what we've done on the second floor," said Chief Financial Officer John Zielinski. "This will allow us to bring in more scientists and expand our research capabilities."

The lab's research focuses on Cardiovascular Disease.

The new areas are expected to be in operation by early summer.