Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Breaks Ground on The Community Church at Babcock Ranch
- Curt Cipares - O‑A‑K Senior Project Manager, Taylor Sawatzky - O‑A‑K Director of Strategic Development, Nicholas Tanner - O‑A‑K Preconstruction Project Engineer, Pastor Matthew Shapton - The Community Church , Lucienne Pears - VP Economic and Business Development at Babcock Ranch, Keith Norton - Development Manager at Kitson Partners , Abel Natali - O‑A‑K Director of Preconstruction, Alesha Watchowski - O‑A‑K Director of Operations
Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Company (O‑A‑K) ), a leading construction management company with deep roots in Southwest Florida, joined The Community Church at Babcock Ranch, residents and community members, to celebrate a meaningful milestone—the groundbreaking of the congregation’s first permanent home. This marks a historic moment as the first church ever to be constructed within the Babcock Ranch community.
The future campus will serve as a welcoming space for worship, fellowship, and community connection. Designed to grow alongside Babcock Ranch, the project will be completed in two phases.
Phase 1 includes construction of the Fellowship House, a 6,000-square-foot chapel and ministry center scheduled for completion in October 2026. Phase 2 will add a 16,000-square-foot Worship Center, connected to the Fellowship House by a landscaped courtyard. Together, the two buildings will create a flexible and enduring hub for spiritual growth and community engagement.
“O‑A‑K is honored to partner with Pastor Shapton and The Community Church leadership to help bring this vision to life,” said Matthew Zwack, of Owen‑Ames‑Kimball. “This is more than a construction project—it’s the creation of a gathering place where people will celebrate, reflect, and build relationships for generations.”
Located on Commons Drive near Bloom Academy, the facility is designed to serve the wider community as well as the congregation. In addition to worship services and ministry programs, the space will host youth day camps, mental health training, and meetings for local nonprofit organizations.
O‑A‑K also extended its gratitude to Kitson & Partners for their vision and ongoing support of this project and the broader Babcock Ranch community
“This is a historic day, not just for our congregation but for the entire town,” said Pastor Matt Shapton. “This is more than just another building, this is a place for people to find hope, help, and healing. Following Jesus Christ in the world and leading with love, that is our mission.”
Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Co. has provided premier general contracting, design-build, and construction management services in Southwest Florida since 1982. O‑A‑K specializes in community-driven construction projects and offers an inclusive, intentional, and customized experience. An employee-owned company, O‑A‑K Florida, Inc.'s board of directors comprises members from the company's Florida operations.
O‑A‑K’s Florida operation is an affiliate of its parent company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with offices in Collier and Lee counties. Its Lee County office is located at 11941 Fairway Lakes Drive in Fort Myers. Learn more about O‑A‑K at www.owen‑ames‑kimball.com or call (239) 561-4141.
