A proposal is on the table to build Jacksonville’s tallest building.
Downtown Jacksonville Investment Authority CEO Lori Boyer revealed the proposal Monday on First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross.
The new tower would be build on the land that housed the former Greyhound bus terminal at 10 N. Pearl St.
“I can tell you that the developer has come into my office and showed plans for a 54-story tower," Boyer said.
WJCT News partner the Jacksonville Daily Record also spoke with Boyer after the show, and she confirmed Miami real estate investor Ramon Llorens has presented conceptual designs for the mixed-use tower.
Boyer said the tower would include multifamily residential units, corporate office space, hotel rooms and a parking garage, as well as ground-level restaurant space.
But she also stressed the talks are in the early stages, telling WJCT News, “You know, they’re a ways off from that and I don’t know if that will become a reality.”
If the tower is built, it would be Jacksonville’s tallest building. Currently the three tallest buildings in Jacksonville are:
- Bank of America Tower: 42 stories
- Wells Fargo Center: 37 stories
- The Peninsula at St. Johns Center: 36 stories
The Daily Record reports that Llorens’ ownership groups have a variety of current Jacksonville holdings including the TIAA Bank Center and several parking facilities.
Boyer also addressed questions about the old Greyhound building's demolition and whether it should have been preserved.
"If if you did adaptive reuse of that building, you don't get as much density on the site as you would if you have either mid-rise or high-rise, either office or residential, or some combination," she said.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
