Author Topic: Haskell matches Project Blue Sky, the Downtown HQ relocating to the Southbank  (Read 1815 times)

thelakelander

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It looks like Haskell could be on the move to the Southbank....

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Project Blue Sky, the city’s code-named company that proposes to relocate its Downtown international headquarters within the district to the Southbank, matches Haskell, the Jacksonville-based global architecture, engineering, construction and consulting company.

Haskell is based at 111 Riverside Ave. on the Northbank of the Brooklyn area of Downtown. It built the three-story, almost 120,000-square-foot building on 3.15 acres in 1986. That size increases to more than 230,000 square feet including garage, base and balconies areas.

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The unidentified Project Blue Sky – with 650 existing jobs – would receive $4.35 million in city incentives to relocate its headquarters to the Southbank under a proposal from the Downtown Investment Authority.

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Industry measures indicate that the 650 jobs need about 130,000 square feet of office space and the additional 150 would need 30,000 square feet, based on 200 square feet per employee.

That means Project Blue Sky would look for at least 160,000 square feet of office space.

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While no location was identified, one Southbank building that could accommodate the size is 701 San Marco, the former Prudential building at 701 San Marco Blvd.

The 701sanmarco.com site says the property is “the perfect headquarters opportunity” with up to 170,000 square feet of space available.

Full article: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2024/oct/09/haskell-matches-project-blue-sky-the-downtown-hq-relocating-to-the-southbank/

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CityLife

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This could end up being a great win for Jax, if it leads to the redevelopment of the existing Haskell property. Move Haskell over to Prudential to backfill a vacant building, then get rid of Haskell's suburban building/site and replace it with something more similar to One Riverside.

jaxjags

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Just be careful we don’t trade a suburban office building for a suburban apartment building.

Zac T

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It would be nice if we could redevelop the Haskell property plus the vacant lot between Haskell and the YMCA

Skybox111

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Haskell doesn’t fully own the building 111 riverside ave llc does haskell was just leasing it back and since haskell built that office building I don’t think it’s coming down especially when there is a garage underneath it and the front should remain intact no cutting any of those trees down especially McCoy’s creek in Brooklyn for a walkway that is now a natural looking creek should remain that way planting new trees like those takes decades to be that size try 40 to 60 years thats a good chunk of your lifespan on earth. Lot next to haskell can be built just comform the building around the trees make a interesting building instead of cutting it down for a concrete jungle to put in new trees that takes decades to grow big. Just like gateway jax parcel n4 and n8 they could’ve built around those trees and made a small pocket park and had bunch of taller buildings around them instead of cutting them for a large building and just split up the building.
« Last Edit: October 11, 2024, 02:19:02 PM by Skybox111 »

jaxlongtimer

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Part of why the green Prudential Building is now available is because HD Supply downsized and then moved to the Avenues a few months ago.  Prudential also vacated their space a few years ago.  I believe the major tenant remaining in that building is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Haskell's property was originally master planned to have, as I recall, two more buildings, each coming off as perpendicular to each end of the existing riverfront building.  Kind of surprised they wouldn't push to build one or both of those if they wanted more space.  Maybe they are concerned about resilience to the river flooding although I think their building is reasonably elevated.  They may have a parking issue too given any expansion requirements. 

The building appears to be well taken care of so I would think it would amount to Class A office if put back on the market for that purpose.  Would be great for an existing company in town in the burbs to relocate to.

FYI, Haskell's prior building in the 1970's and earlier was the multistory building, now painted black with a Jax/Florida mural around the top, along side I-95 at the west foot of the Fuller Warren Bridge.