By Karen Brune Mathis & Mike Mendenhall • Staff Writers
Ryan Companies US Inc. targets an April construction start for its proposed headquarters tower for city utility JEA.
Minneapolis-based Ryan applied to the city to review permit applications for garage and building foundations for the Downtown headquarters at 325 W. Adams Street
Ryan filed permit applications for the $2 million foundation for a nine-story, 200,000-square-foot office building and the $2 million foundation for a nine-level, 850-space, 313,000-square-foot garage.
The online permit says both are 10 stories, but plans indicate nine.
The site is next to the Duval County Courthouse.
City Council approved the sale of 1.5 acres to Ryan for $2.6 million on June 25. The company is required to begin construction by Dec. 31, 2020.
Ryan's website says the company expects to start construction in the first quarter.
Spokeswoman Kathy Jalivay said March 4 the land purchase has not been finalized.
Jalivay, Ryan national public relations manager, said the purchase “is expected to close right before construction starts which we are anticipating very soon.”
She said Ryan targets a construction start in April.
City Assistant Director of Public Affairs James Croft said the outside closing date would be April 30.
Ryan A+E Inc. of Tampa submitted the foundation building plans. Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. of Jacksonville is the civil engineer.
Ryan intends to build the office tower and garage on the block bounded by Pearl, Monroe, Julia and Adams streets.
In December, the Downtown Development Review Board approved final designs for the proposed $72.2 million headquarters and adjacent parking garage.
JEA will lease the building from Ryan.
The plans call for 7,170 square feet of retail space on the ground floor of the parking garage.
The 35-foot-deep storefronts are planned for the one-block stretch of Julia Street as well as the corners of Adams and Monroe streets.
On Oct. 22, former JEA Managing Director and CEO Aaron Zahn announced the utility would not opt out of its lease agreement with Ryan for the new headquarters.
The JEA board fired Zahn on Jan 28. Mayor Lenny Curry announced later that day that all board members had submitted their resignations.
Curry nominated seven new members who await Council approval.