Madison, NJ (March 16, 2012) – We’re finally in!!  After almost a year of renovations, the new office is complete. We officially started seeing patients at the beginning of January. Many people have asked me to update the page with completed photos. I’m like a proud parent who is happy to show pictures of their new baby – so here it goes: We are all loving the new office!  It is spacious, full of light and energizes us. We’re so excited that we had the opportunity to move and renovate this beautiful old building. Our goal was to retain the warmth and character of the building while infusing a modern, “hip” feel.  Can’t wait for you all to come and visit us!

Madison NJ (September 10, 2011) – So, things are finally shaping up at the new office. The weather (Hurricane Irene) has been delaying some outside work, but work continues to progress inside the building.The front of the building looks really messy right now. The brick steps were falling down and my dad and his friend, John Forte, from Forte Demolition, removed them. Eventually, there will be a new paved walkway, steps and landscaping. I’m planning hydrangea, daffodils and boxwoods, and new flower boxes overflowing with ivy that you’ll be able to see from inside the operatories.The entrance to the office will actually be from the rear of the building. There is a new overhang in the back and the roof has been raised. There will be a handicap accessible walkway, windows to the reception area and a big glass door (but now we just have a porta-potty!). I know it doesn’t look that exciting right now, but envision a second story, three paneled window, new siding and some landscaping.

The next pictures are all framing so you have to have some imagination… As you enter the office, Andrea will be behind this spacious desk. Close your eyes and imagine nice lighting, blue granite and white walls.

The crew spent almost a month putting in new headers on the first floor and footings in the basement because the layout of the office was so different from the Red Cross’ layout. We needed all the headers to support the changes. It was so worth it!There is now an amazing, wide hallway that runs through the center of the office. Midway down the hall, there will be a small couch so Moms can wait in the hall while I’m seeing their kids, or I can sit and speak with a patient more privately.

Right now, Kelly’s hygiene room is full of HVAC material, but when it’s done, it will have a great view of the tree on the front lawn.

I’m so excited about the ortho bay – basically a room dedicated to orthodontics with two chairs side by side. My hope is that by having two chairs in the room, we can offer more after school appointments for the kids having braces and expanders.There will even be a small counter with a sink so if little Sally is eating cookies when she gets picked up from school she can brush her teeth before I see her!

I hope you can see that things are moving along. The big question – when are we moving? The GC tells me he’s targeting for the end of the October. So, I’m being rational, and thinking November. We’re all excited to move, but we have the luxury of not having to move until it’s all perfect. Just get ready for a great opening party!!

Madison NJ (June 26, 2011) – For anyone who has driven by the building on Kings Road, you should have noticed lots of work being done outside.  Many friends have asked me what is taking so long and why we took down the garage, so I thought I’d give an overview to answer some questions.We spent about seven months getting variances approved for the building.  It’s long, annoying and expensive and anyone who has done construction (in Madison) may share the frustration I’ve had with the illogical process.

The main reason for the variances stemmed from parking.  While the former Red Cross had an entrance on the right and a “borrowed” exit on the left that belonged to the Board of Education, the use of the exit did not transfer to me.  I had to come up with a plan that would not utilize the Board of Education’s property.

Our demo permit was recently issued, and my father and his friend, John Forte, of Forte Demolition, made quick work of removing the garage and widening the driveway on the right so that it can be both entrance and exit.  We will need to build retaining walls on either side of the property and level the driveway, eventually having enough parking for 15 cars.

At this point, we are at a standstill; still waiting for the interior building permit before we can begin.  The plan calls for changing most of the first floor walls and updating all the plumbing, electric and heating systems.  Once work has begun, I’ll post some pictures to show the progress.

While this process has been MUCH longer than anticipated, we (Andrea, Kelly, Jackie and myself) are so excited about the final product that we’re willing to wait a bit longer.  Our hope is to be in by September – back to school for some and hopefully, back to work for us!

Madison NJ (May 24, 2011) – We’ve finally closed on the new building at One Kings Road in Madison (the former Red Cross building)! We are looking forward to starting construction within the next month and hope to be in the new space by August. Keep checking back to this page as we keep you updated on our progress.