In the Know: FineMark building approaches peak construction off College Parkway
David DorseyFineMark National Bank and Trust, with humble beginnings inside a former Blockbuster Video, has all the walls up and a full-blown construction site going on for its new headquarters at the southwest corner of Winkler Road and College Parkway.
The $27 million project, managed by Stevens Construction, has about 50 workers on site daily with the number to grow toward 70-80 entering peak construction this spring.
This month, the building is past the 25% completion mark. By mid-March, the roof will be dried in, and interior work can begin, rain or shine. The new location is expected to open for business in late November.
In February, 57 concrete panels weighing a combined 4.4 million pounds were raised from the ground on which they were poured by a crane so large it weighed 200 tons and was transported to the site on 15 tractor trailer beds.
The largest panel weighed 175,000 pounds.
“This job is going great,” said Dan Adams, vice president of Stevens Construction. “We’re two weeks ahead of schedule. We have 90% of our metal framing installed. We’re on track to finish this project by the end of the year. As promised. The big goal was to get the building dried in before rainy season. Which we will do.”
On Feb. 20, project manager Mike Brooks oversaw the capping of the building with the last of about 365 steel beams, a ceremonial but functional one that had been autographed by FineMark and Stevens Construction staff members.
“It was really more for the emotional part of it,” FineMark founder and president Joe Catti said of signing the beam. “And who knows? Maybe one day we’ll need to go into the roof, and it will be there.”
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Catti’s bank began with 10 employees managing $55 million in bank assets in 2007.
Now the bank has 200 employees, manages $2.2 billion in bank assets and $4.5 billion in total assets with 11 locations in three states.
Catti tries to drop by the construction site weekly.
“It’s going up at lightning speed,” he said. “It’s much faster than I thought it would be. They’re making significant progress. I don’t want to miss out on that.”
The walls took six weeks to pour. The braces were removed Feb. 17, which allowed workers to begin parking lot sitework and underground utility work.
By the time you’re reading this, 75% of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-ins will be finished on the first floor and connected to the second floor. The third-floor wall layout and interior framing will begin soon as well.
PINE ISLAND VILLAGE BREAKS GROUND: Ray Masciana moved to Cape Coral to retire in 2010. Retirement didn’t last long.
The developer from Brooklyn, New York, who built apartments and houses near JFK Airport in New York City, couldn’t stand sitting still by the pool. In 2011, he developed South Cape Business Center at 3208 Chiquita Blvd.
“I couldn’t stop,” Masciana said of continuing his career as a developer.
Also the owner of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs restaurants in Fort Myers and Cape Coral, Masciana celebrated groundbreaking Wednesday of his latest endeavor.
Pine Island Village broke ground on seven acres at 1311 NE Pine Island Road. Real estate broker Carlos Acosta announced he would be granting 50% off the first year of rent to the first four tenants who sign leases.
“This is going to be a destination,” Acosta said. “It’s going to be a landmark.”
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A gazebo, a fountain within a courtyard and some on-site green space would make the center stand out. There will be four buildings ranging from 9,340 to 14,500 square feet.
One will be Class A office space. Zoning allows for two drive-through businesses, so look for a bank or restaurant there.
“I wanted to bring something different to the Cape,” Masciana said. “There is no other center in the Cape that can do this. We want to bring in some special tenants.”
The project will be built in four phases, with the first tenants moving in October.
FORT MYERS NATHAN’S DORMANT: The Nathan’s Famous at 11150 S. Cleveland Ave., in Fort Myers, across from Page Field, closed indefinitely in June of last year but will return, Masciana said. He plans on dividing the 4,000-square-foot restaurant. The southern half will remain an upgraded Nathan’s, and the northern half will become another restaurant or retail option. The Nathan’s concept worked at that location, he said, but not at that size. He said he’s not sure when the Nathan’s would reopen, but it wouldn’t be this year.
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CLEWISTON NEWS WITH REGIONAL IMPACT: A $2.1 million construction project broke ground Monday. A 4,000-square-foot U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility will make Airglades International Airport in Clewiston an official port of entry into the U.S. at 1090 Airglades Blvd.
An overall expansion project at the airport is expected to help generate 10,000 jobs during construction and is projected to create 1,700 long-term jobs for Hendry County and surrounding communities upon completion. The border facility should be finished early 2021.
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