Sundance Family Dentistry Landmark Building Launches Family Legacy
The brand new Sundance Family Dentistry building in the Borrows West neighborhood of Viera is not just beautiful and inviting, it marks the launch of a legacy — the result of the strongest of family stories. Dr. Kaitlin Donovan and her family members designed, built and decorated every inch of the new 6,000-square-foot Space Coast landmark. And we’re talking her husband, mom, dad, sisters, grandmother and extended family and friends. Each had a role in the architecture, site prep, construction, exterior and interior design, lighting, and landscaping.
It’s the culmination of the dream Donovan had to become a dentist starting at age 4 — a vision that never wavered, as evidenced in the photo of her dressed in dentist scrubs during spirit week when a high school student at Melbourne Central Catholic. In the photo, she’s hugging her then sweetheart and now husband, Cameron Stahl, spiritedly dressed in construction attire.
“Growing up with parents who are business owners and builders, I also aspired from a young age to own my own business,” said Donovan, who opened the practice in 2012. “I absolutely love being a business owner as well as a dentist. It is so rewarding to pour your heart and soul into something that I am so passionate about and see it grow.”
The practice moved from down the street and opened its new doors on April 10, 2023. Donovan, who earned her bachelor of science from Nova Southeastern in Fort Lauderdale and her doctorate of dental medicine from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, works alongside Dr. Mary Crawford — the two doctors sharing similar values and goals in practicing dentistry. There’s room to welcome another dentist, and the building has 3,800 square feet of space separate from the dental office available for lease.
The full family involvement includes Stahl, an aerospace engineer who works with Donovan’s father, John Donovan, whose company J.P. Donovan is currently the prime contractor for the NASA Ares-1 Mobile Launcher Project, among other aerospace projects. Dad built the building that Donovan said she and Stahl spent years dreaming about.
“For as long as Kaitlin and I have been together, she has said she wanted to be a dentist and to own her own practice,” Stahl said. “Being able to achieve that goal with her and having both of our families involved in the design and construction was a dream come true.
“It took a lot of stress off knowing that we had people who cared about us working on the job. There were a lot of nights that we went over to the jobsite to work on different aspects of the project after we finished with our day jobs, but it was all worth it.”
Donovan said one of the most tedious aspects of the project was trying to decide what the team wanted the exterior of the building to look like.
“This was so important to me,” she emphasized. “We had ideas and aspects that we loved but could not get it to come to life easily. Ultimately, my dad sat down with a pencil and paper and started drawing ideas we liked and the rest is history.”
Stahl, also a talented woodworker, built a lot of the accent touches in the office.
“It is really cool to see things in the office every day when I am at work and recall the time we spent deciding on stains in our garage or the immense amount of time he spent before and after work, as well as his weekends for about a year building pieces for the office,” Donovan said. “We had a vision and he made it come to life.”
Donovan’s father-in-law, Brian Stahl, is a civil engineer and did all the site work through his company Infrastructure Solutions Services. Her mother, Tiffany Donovan, sisters and grandmother all worked together on interior design.
“My entire family worked on this project together and it is one of my proudest achievements,” Donovan said.
Brian Stahl echoed that sentiment: “It was very different, in that I have never had a project that was such a family bonding opportunity working together daily.”
The landscaping mixes Florida native plants with Southwest influence courtesy of Brendan Healy, a high school friend from the MCC days, who owns Change of Greenery.
The water feature at the entrance is intended to offer a serene and inviting atmosphere, for obvious reasons and perhaps the not so obvious.
“My goal was to make the office feel inviting, like you’re sitting in a living room and not a dental office,” Donovan said. “I am very well aware of how stressful the dentist can be for some patients. Our No. 1 goal for patient care is to make the experience more enjoyable, and I wanted the office to reflect that — serene, peaceful, and relaxing.”
Satisfied with the outside, Donovan and the ladies in her family scrutinized their options for the inside.
“We love interior design and this was a fun challenge for us all,” Donovan said of the three-generation effort. “I don’t think any of us will forget the amount of time we spent together meticulously deciding on artwork, furniture, furniture placement, indoor plants and the list goes on!”
Donovan’s parents said it was rewarding to work together and see the new version of Sundance Family Dentistry come to fruition.
“It was a huge team effort by so many people,” John and Tiffany Donovan shared in a joint statement. “We are excited to see the positive impacts this dental practice will make for people throughout Brevard.”
The building project is Donovan’s shared dream transferred to concrete, stucco, wiring and paint thanks to her entire family.
“It’s giving me the ability to continue to serve the people of Brevard and beyond,” she said. “I have always wanted to be the hometown dentist that is recognized in the community and that is known for taking good care of my patients, and I have an incredible team of employees that is helping me live out that dream.”
CONNECT
Sundance Family Dentistry
sundancedentistry.com
5484 Lorkey Lane, Viera, Florida, 32940
office@sundancedentistry.com
321-837-3700
Instagram: @sundancefamilydentistry
Facebook: @sundancedentistry
Map It
