The city issued a permit July 1 for the ongoing shell construction of the eight-level, 656-space parking garage for JEA’s new Downtown headquarters at a project cost of $14.36 million.
It comes about two months after the city issued a permit May 13 for the ongoing construction of JEA’s next Downtown headquarters at a project cost of $31.09 million.
Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies US Inc. owns the 1.54-acre site at 225 N. Pearl St. Downtown and is developing the structures. JEA will lease the property.
Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. is the civil engineer. Ryan A+E Inc. is the architect and interior designer.
The city issued two foundation permits for the project March 22 — one for the office building and another for the garage at $2 million each.
Ryan broke ground on the project Oct. 22 after beginning site work in August.
In June 2020, the Downtown Development Review Board approved a scaled-down, lower-cost design for the JEA’s new headquarters that will replace its building at 21 W. Church St.
The municipal electric and water utility is considering other real estate acquisitions related to operations.
JEA paid almost $2.45 million for a 2.27-acre property in LaVilla purchased from LaVilla Partners III LLLP in March for a possible secondary headquarters designed to survive a natural disaster such as a major hurricane.
In January, JEA said it would pause plans to build the facility as its management and board reevaluated space needs in the utility’s post-pandemic workplace.
The proposed 40,000-square-foot facility would house JEA’s emergency operations center and supplement the utility’s eight-story, $64 million to $68 million headquarters.
CEO Jay Stowe said March 23 that a long-term hybrid work format for JEA employees would change the interior design of the primary headquarters and reduce its space needs at the hardened facility.
Staff Writer Mike Mendenhall contributed to this report.