Unique Jacksonville: Independent Square

jeh1980 · February 04, 2009, 10:43:15 PM

I love this building. It was one of the best buildings ever built. There were still archives out there saying that the building was built in 1975 which I intend to believe. That was a good year for achitecture in this town. I hope that one day, they will put more local/national retail on the ground level real soon. But I would wonder what would it be like if Independent Square had a twin tower next door. Keep the faith!

Charles Hunter · February 04, 2009, 10:59:33 PM

Not a twin tower - an inverted twin, with the wide part at the top!!

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BridgeTroll · February 05, 2009, 07:23:52 AM

Quote from: stjr on February 04, 2009, 07:51:53 PM
You gotta love the internet. Look at this nifty page featuring Jax skycrapers in height order. You can click and it will rearrange them in order of date built. Very nice reference site for downtown building and history lovers!

http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?cityID=135

27 Jax buildings are featured.

Cool site... up to date too with the Strand and Peninsula.

Doctor_K · February 05, 2009, 08:42:48 AM

No Berkman though. Odd. Still, a cool find!

Tripoli1711 · February 05, 2009, 09:10:47 AM

If you click on the BOA Tower on that skyscraperpage it reads: "- At night, four of the Bank of America Tower's 8 triangular panels are illuminated, crowning the top of the building and the Jacksonville Skyline.". Really? Sigh.....

copperfiend · February 05, 2009, 10:42:53 AM

Quote from: heights unknown on February 04, 2009, 08:59:33 PM
BOA in jax is supposed to be a duplicate of the slightly shorter 561 Foot tall "Park Avenue Tower" in New York City; they don't resemble each other all that much to me except for the pyramid shape at the top, and even the pyramid on Park Avenue is much smaller than Jax BOA's.

Please access http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=114550 to see for yourself.

Heights Unknown

There is a slight resemblence I suppose. It's amazing how small the one in NYC looks with it's surroundings.

Jason · February 05, 2009, 01:02:22 PM

I'm glad the BofA turned out better that its predecessor in NYC. That thing it UGLY!

heights unknown · February 05, 2009, 08:46:17 PM

If BOA was in NYC it too would look small and insignificant compared to the surrounding buildings and skyscrapers; it would be just another building in the skyline. Good thing it was built here because it (BOA) is the "bell of the ball" because of its "tallest building" status and the fact that there are no supertalls and/or very few talls in the skyline.

Heights Unknown

heights unknown · February 05, 2009, 08:47:24 PM

Are you serious? I don't think that would go over well (an inverted twin tower MODIS building).

Heights Unknown $:-\$

jeh1980 · February 06, 2009, 01:15:26 AM

Quote from: jeh1980 on February 04, 2009, 10:43:15 PM
I love this building. It was one of the best buildings ever built. There were still archives out there saying that the building was built in 1975 which I intend to believe. That was a good year for achitecture in this town. I hope that one day, they will put more local/national retail on the ground level real soon. But I would wonder what would it be like if Independent Square had a twin tower next door. Keep the faith!

Quote from: Charles Hunter on February 04, 2009, 10:59:33 PM
Not a twin tower - an inverted twin, with the wide part at the top!!

\-------/
.\-----/
..|---|
..|---|
..|---|

Quote from: heights unknown on February 05, 2009, 08:47:24 PM
Are you serious? I don't think that would go over well (an inverted twin tower MODIS building).

Heights Unknown $:-\$

Yeah. It don't seem right. I thinking of a twin tower that would replace the Modis Tower garage! That is if they have room enough for it...

Charles Hunter · February 06, 2009, 05:51:15 AM

OK, I'm not really serious. Anyway, getting an architect or business in this town to do anything out of the ordinary in this town is a dream anyway. Another "Modis" on their garage site would be cool.

JeffreyS · February 06, 2009, 06:42:25 AM

The BCBS building kind of has that inverted look.

jeh1980 · February 06, 2009, 10:44:19 PM

Alright! Now that we got Independent Square out of the way, is there any way we can dig up some history on the Riverplace Tower (formally Gulf Life Tower) and the AT&T Tower (Southern Bell/Bellsouth). As I recall, the AT&T Tower also have a little mall just like Independent Square and it too also a Morrison's Restaurant way back in the day.

copperfiend · February 06, 2009, 11:22:32 PM

I remember going to a mall inside one of the buildings on the Southbank as a child. There was a clothing store called Strawberry Fields I believe but most of the stores were empty. There was also a store that sold sports clothing on the Southbank. I think all of those storefronts are empty at the current time.

stjr · February 07, 2009, 12:24:15 AM

I don't know of a Morrisons in ATT/Bellsouth/Southern Bell. But Riverplace, when it was Gulf Life, did have a Morrisons or equivalent on the ground level looking out over the river as I recall. There also was a local bank in the lobby called St. Johns River Bank I believe.

The "mall" you may be recalling could be the mini-mall of stores that were on the street side of the once Hilton/Sheraton (now Crowne) hotel at ground level below the plaza. There were also stores along the Southbank Riverwalk where the Wyndam (formerly Radisson/Sheraton) is - I think the complex was called "The Wharf".

Does anyone remember Diamond Head at the foot of the Acosta before River City Brewing? Or the Travel Lodge at the Acosta on ramp from San Marco Blvd? Or Brandons Camera on the Southbank before it moved to the Skateland building on Kings Road (now PRI Productions)? Or when the Suddath Building was the IBM Building? When the Aetna building was Prudential and the ground floor had a bank called "The State Bank"?