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.

Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Company (O‑A‑K), a preeminent general contractor with a longstanding presence in Southwest Florida, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Lehigh Acres Elementary School on Wednesday, April 20. Amanecer (meaning sunrise in Spanish) Elementary School will be located on Sunrise Boulevard next to the Lehigh Acres Middle School. Construction began in April, and the school will be open for the first day of school in August 2023. O‑A‑K is the construction manager for the project.

Attendees included Lee County School Board members, Lee County Schools administration, elected officials and representatives from the construction team, architects, and engineers.

“Amanecer Elementary School will help us serve the rapidly-expanding population here in the East zone and prepare our children to reach their highest potential,” said Lee County School Board Member Gwynetta S. Gittens. “This is an exciting time for our community.”

“We are pleased to be a part of this project that will accommodate the rapid growth of students in Lee County,” said Matthew Zwack, president of O‑A‑K Florida. “We are proud to partner with The School District of Lee County again.”

The two-story building is a 127,745 square foot facility on 36 acres shared with Lehigh Acres Middle School. The schools will have a common access road, bus loop, and central energy plant. The campus will have 984 student stations and serve pre-k through fifth grade. The one-story building area is also designed to serve as a community hurricane shelter. The campus includes a covered play area and sports courts. In addition, it will have updated security measures, including a single point of entry access control and upgraded hardware on all classroom doors.

The O‑A‑K project manager is Alesha Watchowski, and the site superintendent is Tim Harkins. Ryan Propp is the director of field operations. Abel Natali is the director of preconstruction. The project architect is ADG Architecture, LLC. Johnson Engineering is the civil engineer, and TLC Engineering Solutions is the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineer. The structural engineer is TRC Worldwide Engineering.

An employee-owned company, O‑A‑K Florida, Inc.’s Board of Directors comprises members from the company’s Florida operations. Owen‑Ames‑Kimball Company has provided premier general contracting, design-build, and construction management services in Southwest Florida since 1982.

O‑A‑K’s Florida operation is an affiliate of its parent company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Florida operation has 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.