Last month, Curt and David flew to Ogden, Utah, to spend a quick 24 hours with our design team as we continue to prepare for the most forward-thinking project in the history of Youth-Reach. In Ogden, we met with Dan Cook (the founder of Building God’s Way, current principal of Daniel Cook Architects, and a member of the Youth-Reach Board of Advisors) and David Merlo (Dan’s lead architect) as we work to combine Curt’s 40 plus years of experience working with troubled kids and David’s innovative vision for the future.
Some of you have already seen the site plan and some of the building designs, but we have made significant changes, one of which will trim roughly $600,000 from the total project budget without a loss of prospective square footage. With these two experienced men in the room with David and Curt, fast progress was made, and with a few more tweaks, we will be on our way to having a full set of plans to begin seeking funding.
It is such a blessing to work with Dan Cook and David Merlo, both of whom have traveled here to Houston and have an amazing passion for the work of Youth-Reach. Their ideas, skill, and experience have become a valuable part of this endeavor, and it is a great bonus that they are friends.
