Special to Realty/Builder Connection
Construction is progressing well on the Northeast Florida Builder Association’s charitable foundation project — Touchstone Village, a $6 million, four-building addition to the Youth Crisis Center.
The facility’s recreation building, maintenance building, roadways and utilities are finished, said Greg Matovina, past NEFBA president and owner of Matovina & Company, who is providing the construction management oversight, and recruiting and coordination of the architects, engineers and contractors.
“About 50 percent of the project is landscaped, the administration building is about 70 percent complete and the first and second floors are framed on the apartment building,” he said.
Completion date for the 24,000 square foot administration building is June 30, said Bryan Horn, project superintendent for Varnes Contracting and construction manager for the administration building. The building is being painted, light fixtures are being put in and the cabinets are ready to be installed. More than 200 volunteers worked on the building and more than 30 companies provided volunteers, materials and services.
The entire project should be finished by Sept. 30.
“It is really neat to see everyone get involved and come together for a project like this for the kids of Jacksonville,” Horn said. “I think everyone has that as the sole reason for this project to make a difference in the community and provide a safe place for kids who have aged out of foster care and to give them a place to get an education.”
Touchstone Village will provide housing for 18-21 year olds who are no longer eligible for funding from the state’s foster care program. The project includes the administration building to house and provide services for 16-18 year olds, a two-story apartment building for 18-21 year olds and the 3,000 square foot recreation building to be used for meetings and social events.
Mike Casis, vice president of land acquisition for Matovina & Co., has been overseeing the project, including the infrastructure development and tracking the status of the buildings as they go up.
“All of the infrastructure development is complete,” Casis said. “We will have one more layer of asphalt when the buildings are all completed. The dorm buildings are on track to be finished the first of October. It is going very well.”
“All the MEP [mechanical, electrical and plumbing] trades are in there now,” said Ed Albright, superintendent at D.R. Horton Homes and construction manager for the apartment building, “It’s framed and the roof is on. It’s moving along well and we are on schedule.”
Since the groundbreaking in March 2008, hundreds of volunteers have worked on the project, which is now internationally known. Four visitors from Great Britain and one from the U.S. Department of State toured Youth Crisis Center and Touchstone village on a youth leadership research visit.