JEA headquarters to shrink

[thelakelander]

Heights Unknown will hate this. The proposed JEA headquarters will likely be smaller. Ryan will also likely get rid of the property after building it.

If Ryan sells the nine-story, Class A office tower, which is scheduled to break ground at 325 W. Duval St. in July, JEA would have a new landlord.

The possible sale comes as JEA negotiates a lease agreement amendment with Ryan that could shrink the building's design and reduce the cost of the project.

The utility hopes to reduce the cost of the headquarters from $78 million to $66.77 million, That's an $11.23 million, 15.5% savings.

The smaller headquarters would lower JEA's 15-year, $160.5 million lease.

The proposed redesign would reduce both the square footage of the building and connected parking garage by 12%, according to documents included in the April 28 board material.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/ryan-could-sell-new-jea-headquarters-after-completion

[marcuscnelson]

Ouch. If I remember correctly, this is after they already reduced the height vs what it was in the original proposal.

At this rate, by the time they finish it'll look like something out of Gate Parkway.

[Captain Zissou]

Will it have to go through the design approval process again, or can construction still start as scheduled?

[thelakelander]

They claim they still want to break ground in July. I wonder if the reduction is simply chopping off a floor?

[Tacachale]

Since this is being built bespoke for JEA, it's better that the design is made to match the actual needs while it's still on nice, cheap paper. Clearly there were going to be some adjustments once the former leadership was out.

[Lunican]

Why even bother with this? Just work from home.

[vicupstate]

Why even bother with this? Just work from home.

So don't even build it at all? You're really gonna piss off Heights Unknown now.

[Charles Hunter]

Why even bother with this? Just work from home.

Might be inconvenient for the folks in Customer Service, having folks come by their house to pay or dispute their bill.

[Lunican]

^ $67 milllion building for customer service? You could do that out of a food truck. Or just on the phone.

[heights unknown]

Heights Unknown will hate this. The proposed JEA headquarters will likely be smaller. Ryan will also likely get rid of the property after building it.

If Ryan sells the nine-story, Class A office tower, which is scheduled to break ground at 325 W. Duval St. in July, JEA would have a new landlord.

The possible sale comes as JEA negotiates a lease agreement amendment with Ryan that could shrink the building's design and reduce the cost of the project.

The utility hopes to reduce the cost of the headquarters from $78 million to $66.77 million, That's an $11.23 million, 15.5% savings.

The smaller headquarters would lower JEA's 15-year, $160.5 million lease.

The proposed redesign would reduce both the square footage of the building and connected parking garage by 12%, according to documents included in the April 28 board material.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/ryan-could-sell-new-jea-headquarters-after-completion

You're right Lake; I hate it, spurn it, despise it, and am incensed about it. But that's life. I'll just put on my black hat with the net covering over my face and mourn for a while, and after 7 days I'll be ok. I'll live. It just appears nothing is really going right, or as I would put it, going UP, for downtown Jacksonville. My time on this dirt ball is running out; and so is my hope for Jacksonville, and especially downtown Jacksonville. Lastly, I just hate seeing other major Florida cities, even cities smaller than Jax, with heavy, dense, downtowns and even outward in the surrounding neighborhoods and suburbs. I still root for Jax, hope for Jax, but my rooting and hoping is wearing thin and I am exhausted and poured out. As for JEA, based on the info that you and others have posted, I do understand their rationale. But as for downtown Jacksonville (it's lack of moving forward), and it's floudering leaders, THAT, I don't understand.

[heights unknown]

So......Ryan is looking at other projects to develop in downtown Jacksonville; what...one story office buildings?

[heights unknown]

Why even bother with this? Just work from home.

I agree; that is the new norm isn't it? Hell, just do away with downtowns and replace with residential homes and essential offices here and there, just as you do throughout the city and not in or at a central point or destination.

[heights unknown]

Why even bother with this? Just work from home.

So don't even build it at all? You're really gonna piss off Heights Unknown now.

If they didn't build it at all that won't piss me off; building 1 or 2 stories, or even anything under 10 stories, THAT pisses me off!

[thelakelander]

Just re-read this. They'll likely value engineer that design as well. If it turns into the standard Jacksonville beige box, they may have to go back before the DDRB.

[Ken_FSU]

Why even bother with this? Just work from home.

I agree; that is the new norm isn't it? Hell, just do away with downtowns and replace with residential homes and essential offices here and there, just as you do throughout the city and not in or at a central point or destination.

People don't think through what an economic disaster a broader work-from-home society would create.

The velocity of money would plummet, and entire industries would be destroyed.

White collar workers able to do their jobs from home would benefit, and just about everyone else (besides Amazon) would suffer. Restaurants would suffer. Gas stations and car dealerships would suffer. Construction would suffer. Millions of janitorial and maintenance workers would suffer. Daycares would suffer. Suppliers, lawn crews, fire marshalls, airlines.