The Builders
by Kevin Fritz
The next time you make your way around town, take a moment to marvel at the commercial cityscape that makes Central Florida unique. At virtually every turn, there is a synagogue, a community center, a school, a hotel, or a tourist-related landmark waiting to catch your eye, many of which have been designed and built by members of our local Jewish community.
One of the more recent cultural gems is Harriett’s Orlando Ballet Centre on Lake Formosa in Loch Haven Cultural Park near Princeton Street. The 38,000-square-foot, $12.5-million masterpiece that is named after the late Harriett Lake opened in 2020.
“Harriett’s Ballet Centre is a beautiful facility,” says David Lamm, chairman and CEO of the Winter Park-based Lamm & Company Partners, builders of the spectacular center for dance.
David’s fingerprints are on some of the most iconic cultural, religious, and community institutions in town including The Roth Family JCC, Maitland City Centre, Millenia Art Gallery, Congregation Ohev Shalom, the Hindu Temple of Central Florida, and a number of buildings at Rollins College.
Like so much of Central Florida’s infrastructure, the story of these buildings is one of relationships, specifically a trusted partnership between David and philanthropist Alan Ginsburg.
“Mr. Ginsburg is a mentor and a friend,” says David. “He brought us in to build the Congregation Ohev Shalom. The project was a turnkey operation from design to approval to completion. It was a labor of love.”
A talented artist in his own right, David was moved by the opportunity to create a special gathering place for the Jewish community at Ohev Shalom. He punctuated the project with a stunning sculpture of the Burning Bush, which resides in the Ohev Shalom Memorial Garden.
Most recently, Alan asked David to assist with pre-construction work for the new Holocaust Museum for Hope and Humanity. The downtown Orlando project is currently in the planning stages.
The Power of Partnerships
The relationships required to bring Central Florida’s gathering places to life often extend from one company to another. The brand-new Chabad Jewish Student Center on the campus of the University of Central Florida, which was made possible in part by the Ginsburg Family Foundation, was a joint effort between Lamm & Company Partners and Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock/Architects, Inc. (HHCP).
“The Chabad at UCF means a lot to me,” says Mike Chatham, HHCP’s president, whose son Alex attended UCF and enjoyed many events at Chabad. “It is rewarding to know that you are creating spaces that make people happy, successful, and sometimes take note of their surroundings.”
Like David, Mike has had his hands in many local projects for more than three decades. He graduated with an architectural degree from UF, as well, as did HHCP founding partner Alan Helman, who had the good fortune to hone his craft as a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright.
“Because of that,” says Alan, “everyone at HHCP has a little Frank Lloyd Wright in their blood.”
Mike and Alan are especially proud of multiple projects in the local Jewish community including the Congregation of Reform Judaism, the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida, and its own work on The Roth Family JCC campus. In fact, the HHCP headquarters stood next door to the JCC for 20 years.
“My two sons attended the JCC’s Early Childhood Learning Center, and that made our projects on the campus even more special,” says Mike. “I took that work very seriously.”
Mike, Alan, and their team also work closely with renowned hotelier Harris Rosen, who is helping grow the Jewish community in southwest Orlando. Through that relationship, HHCP designed The Jack & Lee Rosen Jewish Community Center, the Rosen Shingle Creek resort and other Rosen hotels, and the Rosen College of Hospitality Management on the UCF campus.
Other HHCP projects include the Lynx Central Station in downtown Orlando, The American Adventure pavilion at EPCOT, and Shamu Stadium at SeaWorld Orlando. The company has also been chosen to design the National Pulse Memorial & Museum.
“Most of our work came from relationships and getting involved in the community,” says Alan, who graduated from the first class of Leadership Orlando. “That is the main reason for our success.