Detroiter gets keys to new Habitat Home on the city's eastside.

DETROIT, MI – Another Habitat for Humanity home at 3649 Lakepointe was dedicated Saturday, December 10, 2011 it now becomes more than the eighth home completed since September for the agency’s 25th Anniversary Blitz Build.

For 28-year-old Tanesha Burch, it will represent peace of mind for her 2-year-old daughter, Jayla---by way of a backyard to play in---and a step toward the lifelong Detroiter’s own independence.

“It’s a start,” said Burch, a Wayne State University graduate. “It’s worth something because I’m building for my family and will have something that I own.”

Burch, who was recently laid off from her teaching job with the Detroit Public Schools, will secure the keys for the site at an 11 a.m. ceremony. As part of her acceptance into the program, Burch had to put in 250 hours of sweat equity towards its completion, which included helping to lift the walls, putting up the frame to the roof, painting, helping install windows and doing work in the Habitat for Humanity office.

The project management firms that sponsored construction of the home were Tooles Contracting Group and Clark Construction Group. The firms along with seven subcontracting firms donated the labor and materials and have been working on the home since August.

“This has been an exceptional experience for the team at Tooles, and nothing will be more rewarding than to hand over the keys,” said Damon V. Tooles, president of Tooles Contracting Group. “We view this as an important step to not only helping a family’s future, but also helping to stabilize the neighborhood.”

Added Sam Clark, president of Clark Construction:
“Just knowing how much this home means in the lives of Tanesha and Jayla Burch and for this neighborhood has made this project extremely rewarding for all of us at Clark Construction. It is my hope that this home will not only bring the Burch family great joy and wonderful memories, but will also serve as the foundation for a prosperous future.”

Tooles and Clark are also constructing the new, $46.3 million site at 17200 Southampton, which because of its merger with Crockett will be known as Finney Crockett High School. The new 221,000-square-foot facility will accommodate up to 1,200 students when the school opens in 2012.

“We are very appreciative and proud of the sponsorship with Tooles/Clark,” said Vincent Tilford, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Detroit. “Many people in the community need decent, affordable homes where they can raise their children in a healthy environment, and Tooles and Clark have helped to make this a reality for Ms. Burch.”



About Habitat
Habitat for Humanity is an international, non-profit, Christian-based organization whose mission is to provide low-income families with decent, affordable housing in which they can raise their families. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the organization kicked off its Fall Blitz Build on September 19, 2011; Habitat Detroit since its inception in 1986 has built more than 300 homes for hard-working, low-income families. For more information please call 313.521.6691 or visit www.habitatdetroit.org.

About Tooles
Founded in 2006, Tooles Contracting Group is project management firm located in the Guardian Building. The firm’s clients include DTE Energy, Amtrak, the Federal Aviation Administration, Detroit Public Schools and the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.

About Clark
Clark Construction Company was founded in 1946 and is ranked as one of the top 400 CM firms in the nation by Engineering News Record. The firm is headquartered in Lansing, Michigan and maintains a southeast Michigan office in Southfield. Clark Construction has projects in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, Kansas and Texas. In addition to a full range of Construction Management services, Clark continues to offer Planning and Pre-Construction Services, Program Management, General Contracting and Design/Build services.