VyStar Tower

Last updated
VyStar Tower
Suntrust Tower, Jacksonville FL, Southeast view 20160706 1.jpg
VyStar Tower (previously Suntrust Tower) in 2016
Jacksonville Urban Core.png
Red pog.svg
Location within Central Jacksonville
USA Florida location map.svg
Red pog.svg
VyStar Tower (Florida)
Former namesSunTrust Tower, Jacksonville Center, American Heritage Life Building, Humana Building
General information
TypeCommercial offices
Architectural style Postmodern [1]
Location76 South Laura Street
Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Coordinates 30°19′33″N81°39′36″W / 30.32589°N 81.65990°W / 30.32589; -81.65990
Completed1989
OwnerParador Group (Majority owner) [2]
Height
Roof357 ft (109 m) [1]
Technical details
Floor count24 [1]
Floor area383,000 sq ft (35,580 m2)
Design and construction
Architecture firm KBJ Architects

VyStar Tower (originally American Heritage Life Building) is a skyscraper in the downtown area of Jacksonville, Florida, at the northwest corner of Independent Drive and Laura Street. Standing 357 feet (109 meters) tall, it is the city's sixth tallest building. [3] It was formerly known as the SunTrust Tower, Jacksonville Center and the Humana Building, among other names. [1] Completed in 1989, the building was designed in the postmodern style by the Jacksonville firm KBJ Architects. [1]

VyStar Tower in August 2020 VyStar Tower.jpg
VyStar Tower in August 2020

In 2018, it was announced that VyStar Credit Union, the second largest credit union in Florida, and sixteenth largest in the country, [4] was purchasing the building for its new headquarters. The deal was finalized in late 2019, after the lease of the former tenant, Suntrust, had expired. [5]

VyStar completed construction of its sign atop the building in August 2019. On July 1, 2020, VyStar finished the installation of electric blue LED edge lighting on the top tiers of the tower to accompany the VyStar sign. [6] The project was completed by local businesses Dana B. Kenyon Company, Miller Electric Company and RS&H and was part of a multi-phase initiative by the credit union to bolster its VyStar Campus, which includes the 100 W. Bay building next to the VyStar Tower.

The improvements made to the 100 W. Bay building include the addition of food and retail space. In March 2020, The Bread & Board, a local food concept that offers sandwiches, charcuterie and more, announced it planned to open its third location on the first floor of the VyStar Credit Union's downtown campus at 100 W. Bay St. [7]

Including the VyStar Tower and the 100 W. Bay building, VyStar planned to move more than 1,000 employees to downtown Jacksonville.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacksonville, Florida</span> Largest city in Florida, United States

Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968. Consolidation greatly increased its population relative to its extended size which placed most of its metropolitan population within the city limits. As of July 2022, Jacksonville's population is 971,319, making it the most populous city in the Southeastern United States and the largest in the South outside the state of Texas. With a population of 1,733,937, the Jacksonville metropolitan area ranks as Florida's fourth-largest metropolitan region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of North Florida</span> Public university in Jacksonville, Florida, United States

The University of North Florida (UNF) is a public research university in Jacksonville, Florida. It is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. Its campus comprises 1,300 acres amid a natural preserve on Jacksonville's Southside. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacksonville University</span> Private university in Jacksonville, Florida, United States

Jacksonville University (JU) is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida. Located in the city's Arlington district, the school was founded in 1934 as a two-year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until September 5, 1956, when it shifted focus to building four-year university degree programs and later graduated its first four-year degree candidates as Jacksonville University in June 1959. It is a member of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). JU's student body currently represents more than 40 U.S. states and approximately 45 countries around the world. As a Division I institution, it fields 18 varsity athletics teams, known as the JU Dolphins, as well as intramural sports and clubs. Among the top majors declared by JU students are aviation management, biology, nursing, business, and marine science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Jacksonville</span> Neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida

Downtown Jacksonville is the historic core and central business district (CBD) of Jacksonville, Florida. It comprises the earliest area of the city to be developed and is located in its geographic center along the narrowing point of the St. Johns River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnett Bank</span> Former American bank that was based in Florida

Barnett Bank was an American bank based in Florida. Founded in 1877, it eventually became the largest commercial bank in Florida with over 600 offices and $41.2 billion in deposits. Barnett was purchased by NationsBank in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Bayfront Plaza</span> Proposed skyscraper in Miami, Florida

One Bayfront Plaza is a proposed supertall skyscraper in Miami, Florida, U.S. The building, construction of which has been approved, would stand at 1,049 feet (320 m), with 93 floors, becoming the tallest building in Miami and Florida. One Bayfront Plaza would primarily consist of offices and hotel space, but also would include a retail mall, condominiums, and parking garage on the lower levels, as well as possibly an observation deck at the top. The entire project consists of over 1,400,000 square feet (100,000 m2) of Class A office and hotel space, as well as a total building area of over 4,000,000 square feet (371,612 m2) including the large podium. One Bayfront Plaza is the first skyscraper over 1,000 feet (305 m) to be approved for construction in Miami. The building's primary advocate is real estate developer Tibor Hollo, who has won several awards for his 55 years as a developer in Miami, and is currently the president of Florida East Coast Realty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wells Fargo Center (Jacksonville)</span> Skyscraper in Jacksonville, Florida

Wells Fargo Center is a skyscraper in the downtown area of Jacksonville, Florida, at the southeast corner of Bay and Laura streets. Standing 535 feet tall, it is the city's second-tallest building. It was formerly known as the Modis Building until 2011, when Wells Fargo acquired the naming rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverplace Tower</span> Office building in Jacksonville, FL

The Riverplace Tower is a 28-floor office building on the south bank of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in the state of Florida and was the defining landmark in Jacksonville's skyline. On April 18, 2012, the American Institute of Architects's Florida Chapter placed the building on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places as the Riverplace Tower / Formerly Gulf Life Tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friendship Fountain</span> Fountain in Jacksonville, Florida, US

Friendship Fountain is a large fountain in Jacksonville, Florida. It is in St. Johns River Park at the west end of Downtown Jacksonville's Southbank Riverwalk attraction. The world's largest and tallest fountain when it opened, it has been one of Jacksonville's most recognizable and popular attractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First City Tower</span> Skyscraper located in downtown Houston Texas

First City Tower, located at 1001 Fannin, is a skyscraper in downtown Houston, Texas. The building rises 662 feet (202 m) in height. Completed in 1981, it contains 49 floors. First City Tower currently stands as the 14th-tallest building in the city. The architectural firm who designed the building was Morris-Aubry, and was built by W. S. Bellows Construction Corporation. The structure is an example of late-modernist architecture. The tower, which formerly housed the headquarters of the now-defunct First City National Bank, now serves as the global headquarters of Waste Management, Inc, and the headquarters of Vinson & Elkins. It also houses the U.S. headquarters of Campus Living Villages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baptist Health (Jacksonville)</span> Faith-based health system in the southern United States

Baptist Health (Jacksonville) is a faith-based, non-profit health system comprising 7 hospitals with 1,168 beds, a cancer center, four satellite emergency departments and more than 200 patient access points of care, including 50 primary care offices located throughout northeast Florida and southeast Georgia. The headquarter is in Jacksonville, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eight Forty One</span> 309 feet (94 metres), 22-floor office building on the south bank of St. Johns River

Eight Forty One is a 309 feet, 22-floor office building on the south bank of St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. Completed in 1955, it was the tallest building in the city for 13 years until surpassed by the Riverplace Tower. It was "The Tallest Office Building in the South" and the tallest in Florida until NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was completed in 1965. The building's former names include the Aetna Building, Prudential Plaza I or One Prudential Plaza, and the Prudential Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Street Trio</span>

The Laura Street Trio is a group of three historic buildings located on and near Laura Street in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. The Trio consists of two perpendicularly arranged skyscrapers, the Florida Life Building and the Bisbee Building, plus a third structure, the Old Florida National Bank, which is framed by the other two in a unique pattern. The three buildings, constructed in the wake of the Great Fire of 1901, are architecturally significant, but are currently endangered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">100 North Tampa</span> Skyscraper in Tampa, Florida

100 North Tampa, formerly known as the Regions Building and the AmSouth Building, is a skyscraper in Tampa, Florida, USA. Rising to a height of 579 feet (176 m) and 42 floors in Downtown Tampa, the structure currently stands as the tallest building in Tampa and the twenty-sixth-tallest building in Florida. 100 North Tampa was designed by the HKS, Inc. architectural firm, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The building, an example of postmodern architecture, holds offices for Regions Bank, the American International Group, Yara, North America, KPMG, and law firm Holland & Knight.

KBJ Architects, Inc. (KBJ) is an American architectural firm based in Jacksonville, Florida. The firm designed 17 of the city's 30 tallest buildings and "created Jacksonville's modern skyline", according to The Florida Times-Union newspaper. The firm designed the first high-rise in downtown Jacksonville, the 22-story Aetna Building, which opened in 1955. It took pride in "having the second-largest number of architects of any Florida firm", according to a 1997 article in The Florida Times-Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VyStar Credit Union</span>

VyStar Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative that is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It offers a comprehensive selection of products, including deposit and loan services for consumers and businesses, as well as investments, insurance, retirement planning and financial counseling. Founded in 1952 as Jax Navy Federal Credit Union, VyStar is the largest mortgage lender and the fourth-largest financial institution in Northeast Florida. It is regulated by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and federally insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance (NCUSIF) offered by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Jacksonville</span>

The architecture of Jacksonville is a combination of historic and modern styles reflecting the city's early position as a regional center of business. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, there are more buildings built before 1967 in Jacksonville than any other city in Florida, though few structures in the city center predate the Great Fire of 1901. Numerous buildings in the city have held state height records, dating as far back as 1902, and last holding a record in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Street</span> Street in Jacksonville

Laura Street is a north–south street in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, named for the daughter of the city's founder, Isaiah D. Hart. Historically, the downtown portion of Laura Street has been considered the financial district of Jacksonville.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Jacksonville Center". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-03.
  2. "Parador takes control of more space in SunTrust Tower". Jacksonville Business Journal . Retrieved 2015-04-04.
  3. "Big screens will transform game into a show at Jacksonville's EverBank Field". St. Augustine Record. May 20, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  4. "Largest Credit Unions". Credit Union.
  5. "VyStar taking over piece of downtown skyline, moving HQ to urban core". Jacksonville Business Journal . Retrieved 2018-06-06.
  6. "VyStar to illuminate its Downtown tower in July". Jacksonville Daily Record . Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  7. "Bread & Board to open location in VyStar's downtown campus". Jacksonville Business Journal . Retrieved 2020-03-06.