ORLANDO’S HEART OF WEST LAKES HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER

Central Florida Chapter MEMBERS

Atlantic Concrete Washout

CEMEX

DisposAll, Inc.

Guignard Company

Hartford South, LLC

JCB Construction, Inc.

Kelsie’s Blinds Inc.

Midstate Caulking & Construction Services, LLC

PeopleReady

R. C. Stevens Contruction Company

Smith Fence Company

Spectra Contract Flooring

Speedy Concrete Cutting of Central Florida

Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc. WILLSCOT

R. C. Stevens is proud to be a part of an all-important project for the residents of The Communities of West Lakes. The community is comprised of five historic Orlando neighborhoods, rich in African American heritage, who have come together with the help of LIFT Orlando.

LIFT was founded by business leaders collaborating with residents committed to strengthening their community by building an economically viable area to live, learn, work, and grow. They have helped to amplify their voices by supporting them as agents of change. In doing so, LIFT commissioned the Polis Institute to discover the assets within the community and learned the hopes and dreams of its residents. One of the areas of need was access to healthy foods and preventative healthcare.

To meet this need, the new 30,000 SF Heart of West Lakes Health and Wellness Center was planned by LIFT Orlando/Community of West Lakes, designed by Baker Barrios Architects, Inc., and constructed by R. C. Stevens along with many other Central Florida ABC members. R. C. Stevens celebrated the building’s top out in May of 2022 with a luncheon for all onsite team members. Unfortunately, the community event had to be cancelled due to rain but was replaced with community/LIFT employee hardhat tours in July.

Prior to the start of construction, R. C. Stevens and LIFT Orlando hosted an online community forum for residents and local subcontractors. The project overview introduced the project, its impact on the surrounding area, and subcontract opportunities, especially for minority/women business enterprises.

The intent of the design is to transform the area with spaces, gardens, and walking paths – to facilitate connectivity and community. Emphasis is also placed on the outdoor areas and green spaces in a setting that works to evoke feelings of familiarity and comfort.

The first phase of construction included the core and tilt-wall shell, along with sitework, foundation, storefront, stairwells, elevators, and MEP. Also included were finishes for common corridors, dedicated greenspace, and asphalt parking lot(s) shared with the neighboring Bradley-Otis Family Branch Boys & Girls Club.

Tenant buildouts were the next phase where R. C. Stevens completed public areas such as the community assembly room and Legacy Café along with buildouts for Florida Blue Center Orlando West Lakes, and a healthcare center operated by Community Health Centers, Inc.

The class A building will provide residents of the area with centralized primary care services as well as a co-working financial wellbeing center, food services, and a sense of place and trust. Facilitating a holistic approach to wellness, the center will provide patients and visitors an opportunity to learn about nutrition, improve access to healthy foods, and provide the tools needed to develop positive lifestyles that aim to increase quality of life.

R. C. Stevens has been a part of Central Florida landscape for over 97 years so when given the opportunity to build a project such as this one, they were grateful and honored to do so. Building for local communities reminds them of the impact they, as an industry, can make for years to come and help create a literal foundation of a better tomorrow for everyone.