Jacksonville, FL — It’s another step forward for a plan to build a new JEA headquarters building on West Adams Street in Downtown Jacksonville.
JEA selected Ryan Companies to build that HQ, but the plot that was chosen is currently owned by the City of Jacksonville. Ryan Companies made an unsolicited bid for the land, and that deal has now cleared the Downtown Investment Authority. It must still be approved by the City Council for the land sale to be final.
GALLERY: Ryan Companies plan for new JEA HQ
The roughly 1 ½ acre site is currently a parking lot, near the County Courthouse and State Attorney’s Office. Ryan Companies offered $2.6 million, and a new appraisal conducted as part of this sale show the market value of the land is below that, at $2.3 million. The appraisal notes that the market value does not factor in the cost of cleaning some environmental contamination at the site.
The DIA put out a 30-day notice for any other proposals that would want the same location, but no other bids were received. As such, the Board voted Wednesday to approve this plan.
The appraisal says they believe office space is the best use for the location, because of a combination of zoning restrictions and other factors. The development team favored the location for a number of reasons, including that it’s not far from JEA’s current HQ and that it would keep their presence in the “Civic Core”. The appraisal notes that as well.
“The site has a very good location in immediate proximity to the recently constructed Duval County Courthouse and the recently constructed Federal Courthouse, and in close proximity to City Hall. It has easy access from the Downtown Southbank area via both the Acosta Bridge and the Main Street Bridge,” the appraisal notes.
The Ryan Companies’ proposal involves a nine-story tower that’s built to suit JEA and the roughly 760 employees who would use the building. It includes an auditorium, a variety of work spaces, outdoor seating, a new parking garage, and other features.
JEA is seeking a new headquarters because their existing building is too large and is old, meaning maintenance costs are high. While they had initially explored a new building to own outright, this proposal envisions JEA leasing the property for 15 years. JEA tells WOKV they believe they can carry out this project without impacting customer rates.
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