Hanania Automotive Group is building-out its headquarters on the Downtown Southbank.
The city issued a permit Aug. 9 for Ladson Construction Co. to build-out almost 10,000 square feet of space for Hanania on the seventh floor at 1200 Riverplace Blvd. in the Hanania Building at a project cost of $1.99 million.
Hanania Automotive Group installed its sign on the building in May 2022.
Hanania Riverplace LLC paid $20.7 million in August 2021 for the former Stein Mart headquarters building and the adjacent six-level parking garage.
Stein Mart vacated the building after filing bankruptcy and removed its sign from the building in November 2020.
The automotive group said then it intended to occupy about 10,000 square feet of the 10-story, 200,627-square-foot building.
Jack Hanania, owner and CEO of Jacksonville-based Hanania Automotive Group, founded the business in 1988.
He said upon the purchase that he intended to move his headquarters into about 10,000 square feet of space, continue to lease to existing tenants and recruit more companies.
Hanania Automotive Group now is based among its Blanding Boulevard dealerships.
Hanania’s group has 16 auto dealerships in Florida and Pennsylvania.
Its dealerships include Acura, Audi, Buick GMC, Ford, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Porsche, Subaru and Volkswagen as well as used models.
Hanania Automotive Group has two collision centers in Florida.
Newmark Phoenix Realty Group Inc. represents the building, which includes a full-service deli, a renovated fitness center, a conference center and other services.
About 120,000 square feet of space was available for lease when Hanania purchased the building.
In July, Truist Bank confirmed it is relocating its Jacksonville offices from the Northbank Truist Tower to the Hanania Building.
Truist is moving from the 18-story Truist Tower at 200 W. Forsyth St. to the fifth floor of the Hanania Building.
The move includes a lease for Truist to take the first-floor branch space and drive-thru that was used by TD Bank, which moved into a stand-alone bank building nearby.
Jim Sebesta, CEO of Newmark Phoenix Realty Group, said previously the total Truist lease is about 15,000 square feet between the fifth-floor administrative office and the ground-floor retail bank.
He said that lease, along with Hanania Automotive Group’s headquarters move and other leases, will boost occupancy of the 200,627-square-foot building to 60%.
Sebesta called that “a long way” from 35% when Stein Mart Inc. left the building.