The Ledger

Published Saturday, June 16, 2007
COMMERCIAL R.E.

Caver Funeral Home on the Road to Recovery

Megan McGowan

LAKE WALES - Caver Funeral Home, located at 90 Orange Ave. in Lake Wales, will reopen later this year after fire damage.

It was a double hit for owner Johnell Caver Sr.

He had been in the middle of remodeling the funeral home, that was until the night of Feb. 19 when a fire gutted the business.

The unplanned disaster put business plans on a temporary hold for the damage assessment by insurance adjustors and fire investigators.

The smoke finally cleared, leaving a total damage bill of a whopping $250,000.

But that didn't include the renovations.

Caver hired Fernando Galvis of Galvis Construction Co. in Haines City, who began rebuilding in April.

"The entire second floor needed to be rebuilt," Galvis said.

That finding led to additional changes to the entire building. Galvis wanted to maintain the design choices of his new funeral home.

The project should be completed in August, provided hurricane season remains relatively quiet.

The seasonal storms, while common in Florida, can severely delay construction projects.

Renovations, which include fire damage, on the 7,200-square-foot building will cost about $400,000, said Caver.

But he said the design of the new building - additional chapels and a modern architectural style to give personality and originality - are a positive after the negative.