Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Company (O‑A‑K), a preeminent general contractor with a longstanding presence in Southwest Florida, has completed construction on the new Lehigh Acres Middle School (LAMS).
“The work from concept to a finished school is a massive undertaking, and the team at O‑A‑K worked seamlessly with the Lee County School District to build an exceptional school for these kids,” said Matthew Zwack, president of O‑A‑K Florida. “Our relationship with the school district staff was vital to completing this build, and we couldn’t ask for a better partner.”
“The new Lehigh Acres Middle School will help us serve the exploding population here in the East Zone. It also offers innovative opportunities that prepare our students for high school, college, and career with world-class academics and programs,” said Lee County School Board Member Gwynetta S. Gittens.
Located at 651 Sunrise Boulevard in Lehigh Acres, the state-of-the-art school provides students with STEAM opportunities to help shape and prepare them for a future in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math. Established in 1983, Lehigh Acres Middle School moved into its new 42-acre campus and 167,103 square foot building in August, giving students and staff new tools to bring advanced tech to the classrooms. The school’s new construction offers 1,356 student stations, 46 classrooms, labs, a cafeteria serving 552 people, and a 490-seat gymnasium.
Students have access to premier STEAM learning with technology to match in many fields, including a video gaming lab, dance classes, and spacious music classrooms for vocals and band. Students can also build their skills in FUSE Studio lab programs, robotics as well as industry certifications. Additional academic programs include a sixth-grade academy, national AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination), Cambridge Program, and Exceptional Student Education classes.
The O‑A‑K project manager was Alesha Watchowski. The job site superintendent was Tim Harkins, and Ryan Propp was the general superintendent. Abel Natali, O‑A‑K vice president, was the chief estimator. The architect was Ryan Richards of RG Architects PA.
The work from concept to a finished school is a massive undertaking, and the team at O‑A‑K worked seamlessly with the Lee County School District to build an exceptional school for these kids,” said Matthew Zwack, president of O‑A‑K Florida. “Our relationship with the school district staff was vital to completing this build, and we couldn’t ask for a better partner.
