Owen-Ames-Kimball Company (O-A-K) celebrated the ‘topping off” of the new three-story medical facility for Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida (FHC) in central Lehigh Acres on Wednesday, March 20. The construction tradition that celebrates the completion of the highest point of a building, featured a barbecue lunch for more than 100 guests including Family Health Centers staff, project architects, engineers, interior designers and construction subcontractors.
Upon completion, the 62,000-square-foot medical center will be Family Health Centers’ largest facility, housing a variety of medical, dental and administrative offices. The $16 million facility is centrally located at 3415 Lee Blvd. in Lehigh Acres, directly across the road from Sunshine Elementary School, Quest Diagnostics and Palm Acres Charter School.
“The topping off is a major milestone and a celebration of the hard work our team has done over the past twelve months,” said Dave Dale, O-A-K, Florida President. “We appreciate the efforts and commitment of each individual who has ensured the construction has gone smoothly.”
“We are impressed with how the FHC Lehigh facility is coming together and we are looking forward to its completion,” said Dr. Frank Mazzeo Jr., president and chief executive officer for Family Health Centers. “It will be approximately five times larger than our current space. Our adult medicine, pediatrics and dentistry practices will increase proportionately and additional practices will be added, such as pharmacy, optometry and chiropractic, as well as chronic disease management and lab services.”
O-A-K’s project manager is Matt Hoffman, the project superintendent is Tim Harkins and the project estimator is Abel Natali. O-A-K also constructed Family Health Centers’ Estero facility and has renovated one of its clinics in Fort Myers.
Family Health Centers operates 14 different facilities and 31 practices in Lee, Charlotte and Hendry counties. FHC offers primary health care, preventative health care, disease management and educational services for all patient groups, including the medically underserved, migratory agriculture workers, the homeless and other special populations. About 94 percent of patients FHC serves in Lehigh Acres are considered low-income according to federal poverty guidelines.
