Public accounting firm Ernst & Young chose Flagler Center as its expansion and relocation site.
It will lease more than 45,000 square feet for relocation of its existing Jacksonville Downtown office and its new client service delivery center.
The company said in a news release this morning it would lease 15,759 square feet in Lakeside Two at 12740 Gran Bay Parkway W. and 29,422 square feet in Lakeside Five at 12926 Gran Bay Parkway W.
Mike Brennan, North Florida Offices managing partner for Ernst & Young LLP, said in the release about 530 employees will work at the offices.
That indicates in addition to the 450 new jobs it will create, Ernst & Young will relocate 80 from the Wells Fargo Center Downtown.
Flagler Center is owned by Crocker Partners.
Ross Carrier and Mark Montgomery, both senior vice presidents with Avison Young, represented Crocker Partners. Glenn Dyke, executive vice president, and Oliver Barakat, senior vice president, of CBRE represented Ernst & Young.
Carrier said in the release that Ernst & Young decided on Flagler Center after an extensive citywide search.
Ernst & Young’s location choice has been expected since March, when it was confirmed the company was Project Omega that wanted to expand in Jacksonville with a service delivery center and add 450 jobs.
Signs of that started showing soon after the economic development legislation was filed Feb. 9. City Council adopted the resolution Feb. 23.
Job websites posted openings for positions in an Ernst & Young Financial Services Office Solutions Delivery Center in Jacksonville.
The city and state are providing $3.29 million in taxpayer incentives for the expansion.
The city’s share is $450,000 through a portion of a Qualified Targeted Industry Tax Refund grant offered for creating jobs.
The state’s share is $2.84 million, comprising $1.8 million through the job-creation grant along with $1 million through a state training grant.
Ernst & Young said the 450 information technology and financial services jobs would pay an average of more than $49,000 a year. It said it will invest $6 million in IT, equipment and real estate improvements.
The company, based in London, handles a range of services, including auditing and risk management.
Flagler Center comprises nine buildings totaling 601,000 square feet of Class A office space and 399,618 square feet of professional office space. It is between Interstate 95 and Philips Highway, south of Old St. Augustine Road.
Bucky Feagans, executive director of Client Service Delivery Center for Ernst & Young LLP, said in the release the space will incorporate the EY@Work model, which aligns employees, technology and real estate initiatives “to create workplaces and support work styles that truly reflect the culture and business atmosphere to which EY strives and the exceptional service we bring to our clients.”
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