Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Company (O‑A‑K), a preeminent general contractor with a longstanding presence in Southwest Florida, celebrated the ribbon-cutting of the new Franklin Park Elementary School in the Dunbar community of Fort Myers on Monday, August 5. The school site is at 2323 Ford Street and will open for the 2024-2025 school year. Construction of the school was managed by Tobler/O‑A‑K Joint Venture, with RG Architects serving as the project's architect.
Members of the construction team, the Lee County School Board, Lee Schools Administration, Franklin Park staff, parents, and students attended the event. In an emotional speech, Principal Dr. Mia German told the audience, “Franklin Park Elementary is a beacon for future educational excellence. We will change the narrative by fostering a high-quality learning environment that students and the community will be proud of for years to come.”
“Franklin Park Elementary is more than just a school; it represents our commitment to enhancing educational facilities and opportunities within the Dunbar community and Lee County as a whole,” said Matthew Zwack, president of O‑A‑K Florida. “Working with Lee County Schools for more than 35 years, we have always prioritized projects that support the growth and development of students. The completion of this new campus stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and the positive impact it can have on our community."
The $60 million project features a 100-student station Pre-K Center, a 700-student station kindergarten through fifth grade, and approximately 9,000 square feet for community wrap-around programs. Franklin Park Elementary is the district's first Community Partnership School, providing on-site services and incorporating partners such as the United Way, and Lee Health to support students and families. A walkway at the school's entrance honors the past with bricks from the original campus.
Franklin Park Elementary has a rich history, having opened in 1958 as an all-black school. It was converted into a middle school and integrated in 1970, then renovated and returned to an elementary school in 1977. In 2023, the entire school was demolished except for one classroom structure. Since then, Franklin Park students have been attending school at a temporary campus.
The project was funded by the half-cent sales tax Lee County voters passed in 2018.
The Tobler/O‑A‑K project team includes Matthew Zwack, president of O‑A‑K Florida, John and Tracee Tobler, owners of Tobler Construction, and Alesha Watchowski, O‑A‑K director of operations. The lead superintendent is Jonathan Grafe, and the superintendents are Philip Pre-Genzer, Brandon Henderson, and Tim Harkins. The assistant superintendent is Gabe Garcia. The project manager is John Klockner, and the project engineers are Dawson Forner and Ryan Klingensmith.
The Tobler/O‑A‑K Joint Venture, which started in 2014, has completed more than 20 projects, including five in the Dunbar community. The team has also completed several charitable home renovations in the Dunbar community.
Owen‑Ames‑Kimball has been working with Lee County Schools since 1988. The most recent project was Amanecer Elementary School in Lehigh Acres, which opened in 2023.
Tobler Construction, founded in 2006, was the first minority-owned business to receive general contractor work in the Lee County School District.
Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Company has provided premier general contracting, design-build, and construction management services in Southwest Florida since 1982. 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. The Florida operation has offices in Collier and Lee counties. Its Lee County office is 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.