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August 22, 2025
We’re proud to bring you the third update in our Florida Gateway College STEM II series, and with it, some exciting momentum as the building begins to truly take shape in Lake City, Florida.
Our focus this past month has shifted upward. Led by Senior Project Manager Sean Wisner, Project Manager Jacob Santoyo, and Superintendent Jim McPherson, the team guided the project from groundwork to walls, transforming flat plans into a visible structure now rising from the site.
The installation of the exterior CMU block walls has been a major milestone. These walls don’t just outline the footprint of the building but carve out future classrooms, labs, and simulation spaces where students will one day learn, experiment, and grow. With the structure now standing tall, the project feels less like a construction site and more like the beginnings of a campus landmark.
Alongside this, crews formed and poured the concrete tie beams, reinforcing the walls and preparing the building for what comes next. Soon, the site will transition into the steel phase with columns being set, roof trusses rising into place, and metal decking installed overhead. These steps will pave the way for the second-floor slab pour, a pivotal moment that will bring even more dimension to the project.
As the Florida Gateway College STEM II project grows upward, so does the anticipation for what it will mean to the students and community it serves. We look forward to bringing you updates on the next stages of construction in the months ahead.
July 31, 2025
We recently introduced a compelling project underway in Lake City, Florida. Construction of the Florida Gateway College STEM II building is currently 20 weeks into construction, with progress being made primarily in structural and utility progression tasks. This 9,763 SF building involves the creation of classrooms, faculty offices, and nursing simulation rooms.
In the last month of the project, we completed tasks relating to early site development, including building pad construction, footing installation, and the ongoing placement of underground utilities in preparation for the slab on grade concrete pour. Project Manager Jacob Santoyo and Superintendent Jim McPherson have made significant progress, transitioning from foundational work to vertical construction.
Our excavator wrapped up the underground utility connections for both the sewer and storm drain systems, with Santoyo and McPherson, along with the rest of the team, successfully completing the slab-on-grade foundation pour on June 7th. With the groundwork now laid, we’ve moved on to constructing the CMU block exterior walls, including the elevator shaft, bringing the structure visibly to life.
Exciting progress lies ahead for the Florida Gateway College STEM II building as we move into the next month of construction. We're gearing up for the first CMU grout lift pour on July 21, marking a key structural milestone. Also on deck for July: masonry grout pours, installation of structural columns, and the placement of hollow metal door frames and elevator walls — all scheduled to wrap up by month’s end. The project is gaining momentum, and we’re thrilled to see these critical components taking shape.
The entirety of this build, including the microbiology lab and nursing simulations, require care and precision, which is one of our goals in every project we create here at Bergman. As we move towards completion, we anticipate the transformative impact that this work will have on students at Florida Gateway College and the larger community.
June 30, 2025
We’re excited to introduce a new project currently under construction!
Construction of the Florida Gateway College STEM II building officially began on February 25 in Lake City, FL, following a ceremonial groundbreaking. As a two-story educational building, the Grace and Al Harter Center for Innovation will support STEM studies on the northwest side of FGC’s main campus. This project will play a key role in the lives of both staff and students by fostering the education of next generation scientists, nurses, and healthcare professionals in North Central Florida.
The groundbreaking ceremony was the perfect introduction of this project to the community. With attendees including FGC administrators, faculty, staff, and donors, as well as media and the public, this event highlighted the significance of the facility and set the stage for the lasting impact it will have on future generations of students.
This project follows the success and momentum of FGC’s STEM I project — the Quinn and Keith Leibfried Building — and will be completed in two phases. The scope of phase one entails a 9,763 SF building consisting of two classrooms, two faculty offices, and 10 nursing simulation rooms on the first floor, with shell space on the second floor for future build-out. The project also includes sidewalks and connections to existing utilities.
After remobilizing on the site in April, our team — including Project Manager Jacob Santoyo and Superintendent Jim McPherson — has rebuilt and re-compacted the building pad, poured the footings, and is now progressing through the process of installing underground utilities in preparation for the concrete slab pour.
The expected end date for this project is January 15, 2026, with the first phase being completed in Fall 2025, making the overall construction process a little over a year. We look forward to continuing with the build and providing timely updates on each step of the process!
