The building is being constructed on a seven-acre parcel that was acquired from the Celebration Co. in 2007. It is the last available lot in Celebration designated for medical office use that is not affiliated with Florida Hospital, which is located in close proximity. The Shermen Group has secured a $17-million construction loan from Fifth Third Bank and has received all entitlements required for the project, including special medical entitlements. The project is expected to be completed in November.

The Shermen Group managing partner Francis Jenkins tells GlobeSt.com that the project is 25% preleased. Among signed tenants are medical-related services, doctors' groups and surgery centers. "We're not affiliated with a hospital which is attractive to tenants that want to be located in the area but do not want to be affiliated with a hospital," Jenkins says.

The general contractor for the project is Baltimore-based Whiting Turner Contracting Co. Cooper Robertson & Partners provided the designs for the building, which will reflect the Celebration-modern architectural style and will be consistent with Celebration's architectural guidelines. The architect-of-record, locally based C4 Architecture, used Cooper's schematic drawings to create the design development and construction drawings for the project. "Celebration Boulevard Medical Center will be a welcome and healthy addition to the community of Celebration as well as Osceola County," says the Celebration Co. president Matthew Kelly. "The plans complement the existing buildings along Celebration Boulevard and the surrounding businesses."