Historic JEA Tower in Downtown Jacksonville Listed for Sale
The former headquarters complex of JEA, which includes a 19-story tower with a rotating restaurant named The Embers atop it, is available for sale. Though The Embers have long since faded and the building no longer revolves, it does provide some excellent bird’s-eye views of the downtown area.
The JEA emblem on the Church Street building will eventually be demolished, following in the footsteps of other tall buildings in the evolving downtown skyline, such as the former Wells Fargo Tower, whose names have been deleted.
The Church Street complex of buildings and parking lots was designated as surplus property by the JEAboard on Tuesday. This makes it possible for JEA to start looking for a buyer for the building, which the Jacksonville Historical Society has named one of the most threatened in the city because the longer it remains empty, the more likely it is to be demolished.
What is the building’s history?
The Jacksonville Historical Society states that when the 19-story structure was constructed in 1963, it was the highest on the Northbank of downtown. Ivey’s Department Store occupied the lower two floors of the structure, which was occupied by Universal Marion Company of Miami, the building’s first significant tenant.
The buildings were occupied by JEA from the late 1980s until 2023, when the utility relocated its personnel and activities to a new headquarters next to the Duval County Courthouse, a few streets away.
Are the structures noteworthy architecturally?
The historic JEA tower is regarded by the Jacksonville Historical Society as “one of the masterpieces” of mid-century modern architecture in downtown Jacksonville. In its list of the most endangered historic buildings in the city, the historical society said that the building is “highly recognizable on the city’s skyline” because of its unusual hexagonal “honeycomb” windows.
What is the asking price for JEA?
The 2.47-acre tract including two tall buildings and a parking garage did not have an asking price listed in the JEA board’s declaration of surplus property. The conditions of the sale would return to the JEA board for final approval if the utility staff is able to reach an agreement with a buyer.
What made JEA decide to leave its Church Street campus?
The utility determined that it would be more financially advantageous to start over with a new headquarters in a facility that JEA is leasing because the cost of necessary repairs, upkeep, and renovations would be so high.
The amount of interest JEA receives for the property will depend in part on the necessary repairs. Due to the high vacancy rate in the downtown office market, JEA will face competition from other property owners seeking to fill available space.