Florida Cancer Specialists

Morris-Depew Associates (MDA), Southwest Florida’s premier civil engineering surveying, land use planning, and landscape architecture firm, has completed services for Florida Cancer Specialists, a leading healthcare institution providing access to world-class cancer care and research.

Professionals at MDA had the privilege of working with four Florida Cancer Specialists locations throughout Southwest Florida to provide a complete scope of development permitting services, including due diligence, engineering, landscape, planning and surveying. Offices included Fort Myers-Colonial, Estero, Global Parkway (an FCS & American Oncology Network office) and North Port.

While each location provided their own set of parameters for size and scope, with varying challenges – from irregularities in shape, conservation land considerations to rigorous municipal architectural requirements – the end result at all locations was a harmonious site and building design that exceeded client expectations.

 

► Florida Cancer Specialists – Colonial (a.k.a Optimal Outcomes Fort Myers)
Timeframe: 2020 – Present
Client – Optimal Outcomes & Watermen Development Group

Located with a direct view of I-75 at the Colonial Boulevard interchange, Florida Cancer Specialists provides a convenient location for access to world-class cancer care and research. The team at Morris-Depew Associates was tasked with providing a complete scope of development permitting services including due diligence, engineering, landscape, planning and surveying.

Led by Stephen VerVaecke, Project Manager & Engineer, and Matt Lincolnhol, Landscape Architect, Morris-Depew was challenged to create a functional and appealing site for the development of a 20,000 square-foot, state of the art cancer treatment center. Challenges faced stem from the irregular shape of the subject property, most notable the property features an extremely narrow area for development due to its bordering of conservation lands and the I-75 corridor. Achieving an effective site design was accomplished by establishing constraining elements and creatively working around them to meet local and state development regulations. Morris-Depew assisted in obtaining a multitude of permits for development including: City of Fort Myers Site Permit; South Florida Water Management District Environmental Resource Permit Modification; Florida Department of Transportation Drainage Connection Permit; City of Fort Myers Plat; City of Fort Myers Administrative Deviation; Florida Department of Environmental Protection Wastewater Collection Permit; and Department of Health Water Main Extension Permit.

The project is now complete.

 

► Florida Cancer Specialist – Estero
Timeframe: 2019-Present
Client: Optimal Outcomes

Florida Cancer Specialists identified a need in the Village of Estero for its world-class cancer care and research services. It found an ideal site in the upscale Coconut Pointe commercial development on the south end of the Village, near US-41 for its new 16,000 square-foot facility. Optimal Outcomes out of St. Petersburg, Florida retained Morris-Depew Associates to provide its full array of services to coordinate a full design team effort to produce a harmonious site and building design to meet the Village’s rigorous architectural review process.

The project team was co-led by Jack Morris, Engineering Project Manager, Stephen VerVaecke, Engineer, as well as Michael Ekblad, Director of Landscape Architect with support from Cory VerVaecke and Taylor Maggiorani. This project required multi-disciplined coordination with the Engineers, Architect, and Landscape Architect to work with the Village of Estero staff and provide persuasive presentations to the Village Design Review Board and public. This resulted in a successful project that met the requirements of the Coconut Pointe Pattern book and Village Land Development Code while providing the specific design provisions required by the client.

One such task included providing design, engineering, and digital perspective imagery support for an enhanced Healing Garden overlooking the adjacent lake to be used by patients and patient’s family’s during their visit to the facility. Additionally, Morris-Depew managed and permitted applications for the site, which included a Development Order with the Village of Estero, Water and Sewer connections and extension with Bonita Springs Utilities, and a South West Florida Water Management District Permit.

The project is now complete.

 

► Florida Cancer Specialist & AON – Global Parkway (Lee County)
Timeframe: 2019-2021
Client: Optimal Outcomes

Morris-Depew Associates design and permitted a joint facility for Florida Cancer Specialists and AON (American Oncology Network) on a 5+ acre parcel in the Southwest International Commerce Park. The design for the 50,000 square-foot building and associated infrastructure was formed by numerous factors, including: the high parking demand for the split facility, the design requirement enforced by the Property Owners Association, and the Hazardous Wildlife buffer surrounding SWFL International Airport.

To accommodate the requested number of parking spaces, drainage considerations were critical for the project and were integrated in the landscaped areas of the site. While combining detention areas and landscaping is not new, plant selection was critical to accommodate the periods of plant inundation without creating a wetland habitat for birds and other species hazardous to air travel. The property owner’s association also influenced the site design and landscaping for the project through requiring preapproval of design elevations and plant species.

The project team was co-led by Ryan Shute, Director of Operations, Stephen VerVaecke, Engineer, as well as Michael Ekblad, Director of Landscape Architect with support from Cory VerVaecke and Taylor Maggiorani. This project required multi-disciplined coordination with the Engineers, Architect, and Landscape Architect to work with Lee County Community Development Staff, the Property Owner’s Association, and the Lee County Port Authority to create a successful project. Morris-Depew managed and permitted applications for the site, which included a Development Order with the Lee County, Water and Sewer connections and extension with Lee County Utilities, a South West Florida Water Management District Permit, Property Owner’s Association approval, and a Tall Structures Permit with the Port Authority.

 

► Florida Cancer Specialist – North Port
Timeframe: 2019-Present
Client: Optimal Outcomes

Located in the Heart of the Heron Creek Towne Center, Florida Cancer provides the community of North Port access to world-class cancer care and research. Optimal Outcomes out of St. Petersburg, Florida retained Morris-Depew Associates to provide its full array of services from providing the initial due diligence on the parcel to the current construction administration of the site.

The project team was led by Stephen VerVaecke, Project Manager & Engineer and Matt Lincolnhol, Landscape Architect with support from Cory VerVaecke, Taylor Maggiorani and Permit Coordination by Amber Francisco. This project required extensive work with the City of North Port to ensure the site was consistent with the requirements of the Heron Creek Pattern book as the parcel is an important piece located across the street from the City of North Port government complex.

One such task included providing design, engineering, and digital perspective imagery support for an enhanced Healing Garden to be used by patients and patient’s family’s during their visit to the facility. The Healing Garden features informal gathering spaces and an iconic trellis structure, which serves dual purposes as it satisfies the Public Art requirement for the City. Additionally, Morris Depew managed and permitted four different applications for the site, which include a Major Site & Development Permit, an Urban Design Standard Permit, a Public Art Requirement Permit, and a South West Florida Water Management District Permit.

The project is now complete.