Published on October 11, 2022 at 8:16 pm
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Downtown Jacksonville is home to the region’s tallest buildings, featuring nearly 8 million square feet of commercial space and more than 2 million square feet of government buildings. An additional 539,000 square feet of office space is either under construction or nearing completion. Florida’s fourth-largest downtown office market behind Miami, Tampa and Orlando is also home to three Fortune 500 companies and 55,000 employees. Here are the 10 largest commercial office and government buildings in Downtown Jacksonville by heated square footage.
10. VyStar Tower, 76 S. Laura St.
Heated area: 426,336 square feet
Floors: 23
Year built: 1989
Completed in 1989, 76 S. Laura St. was developed by Rouse and Associates and was the former home of the American Heritage Life Insurance Co. Designed by KBJ Architects, the postmodern building was the former home of Humana and SunTrust during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2018, the tower was acquired by VyStar Credit Union.
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9. CSX Transportation Headquarters, 500 Water St.
Heated area: 453,103 square feet
Floors: 15
Year built: 1960
The CSX Transportation Building was originally built for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, which chose Jacksonville over Savannah and Charleston as its corporate headquarters. Designed by KBJ Architects, the tower is an example of mid-century modern and International style architecture.
8. Florida Blue Inc., 532 Riverside Ave.
Heated area: 568,911 square feet
Floors: 20
Year built: 1971
Originally the Blue Cross Blue Shield Building, 532 Riverside Ave. was the second-tallest building constructed in the 1970s in Jacksonville.
7. Riverplace Tower, 1301 Riverplace Blvd.
Heated area: 596,638 square feet
Floors: 28
Year built: 1967
This tower was built as the corporate headquarters of the Gulf Life Insurance Co. Then known as the Gulf Life Tower, it was the tallest precast, post-tensioned concrete structure in the world. Designed by notable architect Welton Becket and KBJ Architects, the building was Florida’s tallest for five years. In 2012, the American Institute of Architect’s Florida Chapter placed the building on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Places.
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6. Eight Forty One, 841 Prudential Drive
Heated area: 683,327 square feet
Floors: 22
Year built: 1955
Originally the Prudential Insurance Building, Eight Forty One was “The Tallest Office Building in the South” and the tallest in Florida prior to the completion of NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building in 1965. Designed by KBJ Architects, the building’s lobby once included a two-ton piece of the Rock of Gibraltar.
5. Bank of America Tower, 50 N. Laura St.
Heated area: 729,185 square feet
Floors: 42
Year built: 1990
Originally the Barnett Center, the Bank of America Tower is the tallest building in Jacksonville. Once the headquarters of Barnett Bank, the tower was designed by German-American architect Helmut Jahn and was the tallest building between Atlanta and Miami when it was completed.
4. 701 San Marco, 701 San Marco Blvd.
Heated area: 742,713 square feet
Floors: 21
Year built: 1985
Formerly known as Two Prudential Plaza, 701 San Marco was designed by KBJ Architects.
3. Duval County Courthouse, 501 W. Adams St.
Heated area: 786,447 square feet
Floors: 7
Year built: 2012
Designed by KBJ Architects, the Duval County Courthouse was funded by the Better Jacksonville Plan in 2000. However, rising costs delayed its construction until 2009. The new courthouse is the fifth county courthouse erected in Duval County since the 1840s.
2. Wells Fargo Center, 1 Independent Drive
Heated area: 892,297 square feet
Floors: 37
Year built: 1975
Designed by KBJ Architects, the Wells Fargo Center was originally built for the Independent Life and Accident Insurance Co. Considered to be one of Jacksonville’s most distinctive buildings, initially the tower contained a 360-seat auditorium, a four-story atrium and a ground floor retail mall.
1. TIAA Bank Center, 301 W. Bay St.
Heated Area: 1.09 million square feet
Floors: 32
Year Built: 1983
Designed by KBJ Architects for the Southern Bell Telephone Co., the TIAA Bank Center is the largest office building in Downtown Jacksonville. In addition, the building features a two-story atrium with retail, dining and a 280-seat auditorium.
