Last week the Dept .Supervisors of the Fichte Endl & Elmer Eyecare got a first had look at their new work space. The tour was lead by Kathy Otto,Fichte Endl & Elmers Coordinator of Marketing & Outreach who also doubles as Project Coordinator for interiors on the new 21K SF Medical Complex.
The twelve thousand square foot office is slated to open Thursday July 30th and the attached Ambulatory Surgery Center will open in the end of September. When asked why they were not opening together, Otto explained that due to an extremely cold January there were many delays laying the foundation. “This set us back ….. We needed to make a decision to either open both facilities in the Fall OR open 1 before the other. Our Pine Ave building had been sold, and we needed to vacate by August 1st. With this in mind, we decided it was of utmost importance not to disrupt our patient flow so we focused our efforts on getting the office up and running first, with the Surgery Center to open two months later”. By opening in two stages, all scheduled exams and appointments would be kept intact and patients would have a smooth transition from one building to the other with no down time.
When asked what the new office would be like ,Otto was enthusiastic and spoke in great detail . She told us this project has been an 18 month experience….Beginning back in Feb of 2014 . She has worked closely with one of the partner’s wives, Mrs. Mara Endl were paired together and asked to begin making all interior selections. They both had a good eye or design but the project was bigger than any either had tackled in the past. With this in mind they sought out the help of an interior design firm. “ We wanted the look and feel of Windsong Medical Complex in Williamsville so we researched who did the interior design work there and hired them” said Mara Endl. At that point Buffalo based “Carmina Woods Morris “entered the picture, and the project began to move forward. “This office has a lot of aesthetic details that will set it apart from most offices in the area “said Otto. A grandiose lobby welcomes guests with an atrium and adjacent is a WIFIF bar / coffee station, a children’s play area was also added. On cold days, patients will enjoy the two sided fireplace along with a variety of comfortable seating. There is a curved wall of floor to ceiling windows which lets in plenty of natural light. A new feature of the building will include a spectacular large Optical Boutique. Managing Optician Gordon Sage said “ You won’t have to be a patient to shop here, anyone can just walk in and take a look”. A large selection of designer frames and sunglasses will be offered as well as selections for those more budget conscious. Mr. Sage stated that much time was taken choosing fixtures, frames, seating and lighting all in an effort to make this Optical shop a beautiful and comfortable destination. “We will offer something for everyone no matter what price point”.
On the functional side of the design there is a conference room and a clinical studies center. With the goal of growing their future business at the new location, the doctors have had the forethought to add 6 additional exam rooms, dedicated special testing rooms a 1-800 call center. The staff members will now enjoy a covered patio off the employee lunch room.
Partner Tom Elmer Jr. MD said “We have been dreaming about bringing a state of the art facility of this caliber to our patients for over a decade. As eye physicians and surgeons we have the pleasure of helping people see the world better and now we can do it right in our own neighborhood in a gorgeous new building” Another partner in the practice, Michael J, Endl MD explained what a great accomplishment it is to have the only privately owned Ambulatory Surgery Center in Niagara County. “ This enables us to operate on our patients without inconveniencing them and making them travel out of their own community ” Otto closed with saying “ When I look at the building from the street it almost looks like art to me…..you see the elegant curved lines of the waiting room lobby which play off the expansive atrium roof line and it’s all plastered against a blue sky” We are so excited about our future in The Town of Niagara” Look for the announcement of a Grand Opening party and official ribbon cutting late this summer. This will be an event for the public where they will enjoy guided tours of the entire facility along with refreshments and live music.
The building was designed by Hyman Hayes, an Albany based Architectural Firm and the general contractor is locally owned and operated Calamar Construction.
