By Voice & Viewpoint Newswire
A milestone in construction was reached Friday, May 13, when crews hoisted the final steel beam at the Southeastern Live Well Center site showing the structural steel completion. The painted white beam was marked with signatures from many workers and those attending the ceremony.
In keeping with the “topping out” tradition, an evergreen tree and American flag were placed on the decorated steel beam. Regional leaders, employees, construction workers, and community members attended the celebration.
Remarks were made by County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and San Diego City Council President Pro Tem Monica Montgomery-Steppe during the ceremony.
Supervisor Fletcher stated, “This center is a testament to your community and your tax dollars at work. It is a continued testament to our investment in providing access to health and services connecting straight to the county government where you live. This project was long overdue right here in Southeastern San Diego.”
The New 65,000 square foot Southeastern Live Well Center will replace decades-old service locations and provide health and social services for people living in the community – all in one modern, community-friendly central location.
In response to the request for better access to services, the County is investing in a facility that has multiple services and offers a welcoming environment. The multi-story building will provide safe, healthy, family friendly and useful features including a 4,000-square-foot conference center, program spaces for community services and ample parking.
“This project is the highlight of a lot of work and collaboration. It is a new way of thinking about how to do a project like this,” said.Barbara Jimenez, Community Operations Officer for the County of San Diego Health And Human Services Agency “It’s an elevated way of bringing the community together; we’re talking about adding businesses to the surrounding area. It will bring employees who live, work, and play in the community. There will be hiring of people from the local area. There are so many wonderful opportunities.”
“This center will bring in a lot of additional resources and investments into our community,” stated San Diego City Council President Pro Tem Monica Montgomery-Steppe. “We are listening to the community members and incorporating many of their ideas.”
A key component of the Southeastern Live Well Center is to invest a minimum of $6 million in four local zip codes, 92102, 92105, 92113 and 92114 through subcontracting and workforce opportunities.
PCL Construction is committed to hiring 5% local workers and 10% local spend from local businesses and workers. PCL already has exceeded the goals of the local 5 % hiring and subcontracting of 10%.
The workers on the project who grew up in the community have shared their excitement about the development. “This project means a lot to me. We are building in the community where I grew up; I am really proud to be working on this project because we are upgrading our community,” said Frank Rogers, Quality Control, Pacific Coast Iron.
“I am excited to be working on this project because it will be a building used for a long time,” said Billy Joe Ford, Jr., a worker on the project. “It’s close to my house, and my family passes this area every day.”
“I have lived in this community almost all of my life, and it has always felt like it has been left out,” Community Technical Advisory Committee member, Ken Malbrough, remarked. “The process created the County to do more community involvement in getting this project on the board and gave the opportunity for the community to provide feedback. I believe it will be an incubator for other businesses to come into the area where local members can shop.”
“This project is a milestone in terms of change, as far as equity and inclusion are concerned,” stated Abdur-Rahim Hameed, founder and executive president of the Black Contractors Association. “We have over nine African-American businesses participating, which is unprecedented. We are well over the 5% goal that they were talking about. We have exceeded our goals.” This is a fair and open competition. We see real inclusion and participation, and we hope that other public agencies take this as a model of possibilities.”
After the Topping-Out Ceremony, a delicious BBQ lunch was served by a Black-owned caterer, Boss Moss Kitchen. Master Chef Joe Jones, best known for his Smokin’ Joe’s BBQ, was there with his sauce. The Southeastern Live Well Center is on schedule to be completed by the Summer of 2023.
