Say Goodbye to JEA Tower and hello to a Possibly Skyline Altering Building

[heights unknown]

Well, the results of yesterday's JEA Board meeting resulted in a land swap deal with the city which will include a new JEA Campus at 337 West Adams Street next to the Courthouse, and/or the possible demolition or sale of the Old JEA Tower (formerly the Ivy Building built in 1962). Click on the below link to check complete details of the decision, what happened at the meeting, and what may happen in the future. Enjoy!

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2017-06-20/say-goodbye-jea-tower-utility-will-build-new-headquarters

[Noone]

This was Resolution 2017-06-02, JEA Land Swap Term Sheet at the 6/21/17 DIA Board meeting in the Lynwood Roberts room
The meeting was supposed to be streamed on line so Joe Q. Public could watch it. It wasn't.
Public comment was allowed and Kay Ehas spoke on this Resolution. Kay, had some super comments. Please share if you can.
There were no handouts for the Public.
After the vote on the Resolution a Board member left and then all other DIA action was shut down till July 19, because you didn't have a quorum. Can't make this stuff up. WWTBGD?
DIA Board member No Shows included Craig Gibbs, Marc Padgett, Kay-Harper Williams, Dane Grey, I believe was the Board member who voted on 2017-06-02 then left that then created the Quorem hole. Does Putnam county know about any of this?

Stay Positive.
Visit Jacksonville!

After the meeting had an opportunity to talk with At-Large Jacksonville city councilman about Unity Plaza, It's not just a retention pond.

[mtraininjax]

From the Times Union:

Under the terms of the proposed land-swap deal with City Hall, JEA would market its current property and, if it finds a buyer, pay the city at least $1.6 million — the value of the city's West Adams Street property. If JEA can't find a buyer, it will have to demolish the tower and customer-service center at its own expense and transfer the property to the city.

Did the JEA ever find a buyer for their last building on Julia? Seems they leave empty buildings all over town, if its still sitting empty. I could be wrong.

[thelakelander]

JEA sold the old JEA Tower building back in 1975. I believe there's a company still working on plans for its eventual reuse. 

[heights unknown]

To Lakelander or anyone that can answer. That property next to the Courthouse that will field JEA's new campus is slightly smaller than where they now are; in fact, viewing pictures of that property, it appears that not much can be built or constructed on it unless you go vertical with a kind of slender tower. Is it possible that the new campus will have a "scraper" with an adjacent parking garage on the same property (in which it seems to me there's not much room for that), or maybe a "scraper" with a parking garage included on the first few bottom floors. Just seems kind of small that property; I do know that's where the old Hotel George Washington was I believe (my Mother worked there as a Maid in the 60's) and looking at photos you can really only get one tower on that property, possibly a slender one mind you unless, as aforementioned, the parking garage is included in the tower as the first few floors and the office floors on top.

[Josh]

There will be no parking inside/underneath the new building. That is one of their requirements.

[thelakelander]

The Adams Street property is large enough to have a separate tower and garage, side-by-side.  Remember, the George Washington Hotel wasn't the only structure on that block.  It also included a parking garage and the Southern Bell Building as well.

[heights unknown]

The Adams Street property is large enough to have a separate tower and garage, side-by-side.  Remember, the George Washington Hotel wasn't the only structure on that block.  It also included a parking garage and the Southern Bell Building as well.

What a grand, super looking building. I was like 8 or 9 years old when my Mom used to take me downtown to that old tower. Thanks Lakelander; my question has been answered. I had either forgot or failed to recall that there was another building on that property. All I remember is the hotel. So there should be more than enough room for an office tower and a parking garage of sorts IF they are creative and innovative in the planning and design of the buildings on the campus.

[Noone]

There will be no parking inside/underneath the new building. That is one of their requirements.

Why is that? Where will all the car charging plug ins now be clustered?

[thelakelander]

The building hasn't been designed yet, but I'm sure they'll figure it out before construction begins.

[acme54321]

There will be no parking inside/underneath the new building. That is one of their requirements.

Why is that? Where will all the car charging plug ins now be clustered?

I think it has something to do with emergency operations or counter terrorism. 

[JaxNative321]

Apparently there are some restrictions on the architecture because they are an electric utility and there are many more grid safety concerns these days. That architect rendering makes me wonder where they are going to put all their employees because that is not big enough.
Now here is stinky fish in the paper. The COJ could not get $1.6 Million for that property in downtown from any developer or private company but they are going to BILK our community owned utility for $1.6Million of our utility payments. Hold on one big second there Curry. Some NON-elected group of citizens should make this decision about the land swap.

[thelakelander]

What rendering?  I also notice their design criteria is somewhat different from Progress Energy's (now Duke Energy). Progress built a new headquarters in downtown St. Petersburg back in 2007.  Their tower is 18-stories with 5,000 square feet of retail (a Five Guys and Fedex Office) at street level.  However, their garage (+300 spaces) was integrated into the structure.

[KenFSU]

^I think he might have mistakenly thought that the rendering of the proposed redevelopment of the old JEA tower that you posted was a rendering of their new building.

[heights unknown]

^I think he might have mistakenly thought that the rendering of the proposed redevelopment of the old JEA tower that you posted was a rendering of their new building.

Shhhhhhhhh! Don't tell him. Let him continue to think that's the rendering for the new JEA tower. LOL...nah, somebody better tell him. Lake? You do the honors.