provided to The Santiva Chronicle
Owen-Ames-Kimball Company (O-A-K) joined community leaders, project partners, and supporters to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of the new $3 million Harkey Sea Turtle Complex at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel Island. The event, hosted by the Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce, marks the official opening of the advanced rehabilitation facility located at 3883 Sanibel-Captiva Road.
The new complex replaces CROW’s former sea turtle facility, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022, and represents a major step forward in both wildlife care and the island’s continued recovery.
“When I speak of the ‘blessings of Ian,’ one of the highlights is the new Harkey Sea Turtle Complex,” said Alison Charney Hussey, executive director of CROW. “Our previous facility was fairly unsophisticated. The pole barn housed fiberglass pools with basic filtration equipment.”
Funded through a combination of support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and generous donors, the new state-of-the-art facility significantly enhances CROW’s ability to care for injured and endangered sea turtles. Features include larger rehabilitation tanks, advanced heating and cooling systems, ionization filtration, and integrated camera systems that allow both veterinary staff and the public to observe the recovery process in real time.
“Owen-Ames-Kimball is honored to see this important project come to life,” said Jim Hopper, President of Owen-Ames-Kimball Florida. “This facility represents resilience, innovation, and a shared commitment to protecting our region’s natural resources. Following the devastation of Hurricane Ian, it’s incredibly meaningful to help rebuild a place that will have such a lasting impact on marine life and environmental education.”
The 2,620-square-foot Harkey Sea Turtle Complex is the only licensed sea turtle rehabilitation center between Sarasota and the Florida Keys. Designed to support advanced treatment, long-term care, research, and public education, the facility includes specialized life-support systems and dedicated spaces for the rehabilitation of hatchling and adult turtles.
“Congratulations to CROW! This is really a community victory,” said John Lai, president and chief executive officer of the SanCap Chamber. “Our sea turtles are so important and well-loved here on the islands; we all feel the joy at seeing improved rehab care for injured hatchlings to adults.”
“Our community cares so much about our sea turtles, and it was so evident when we embarked on this rebuilding effort,” added Hussey. “Time, talent, and treasure were showered upon CROW and the Harkey Sea Turtle Complex from all involved.”
Owen-Ames-Kimball served as construction manager for the project, working alongside Colliers Development Services as project manager, Joyce Owens Architecture as architect, and ALSI Life Support Systems for aquatic engineering.
The completion of the Harkey Sea Turtle Complex underscores O-A-K’s commitment to building projects that strengthen communities and preserve the unique environmental assets of Southwest Florida.
Owen-Ames-Kimball’s Florida operation is an affiliate of its parent company, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with offices in Collier and Lee counties. Its Lee County office is located at 11941 Fairway Lakes Drive in Fort Myers. Learn more about O-A-K at www.owen-ames-kimball.com or call (239) 561-4141.
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