Bank of America Tower’s owner is preparing to build-out the amenity center it announced May 31 for the ninth floor of the 42-story high-rise.
The tower at 50 N. Laura St. is Downtown’s tallest office structure.
The city is reviewing a permit for Jacksonville-based Auld & White Constructors LLC to renovate about 19,060 square feet of space at an estimated cost of $2.2 million.
Real estate company CBRE and landlord Group RMC announced that the floor will be reconfigured with amenities at an investment of about $4.1 million. Completion is anticipated in the first quarter of 2024.
The ninth floor was the tower’s lowest with office space without a tenant, they said in a news release.
Plans include:
• A community hub of about 6,600 square feet with a kitchenette; flexible space for tenants to lounge or host meetings and events; and a recreation area with a golf simulator.
• A conference center of about 7,200 square feet featuring a room with flexible walls and two smaller rooms.
• A fitness center of about 4,850 square feet with an exercise studio and locker rooms.
• A leasing and property management office of about 1,750 square feet.
New York-based Group RMC owns the property. CBRE Project Management will manage the project. BHDP Architecture of Cincinnati, Ohio, is the designer.
CBRE Senior Vice President Oliver Barakat said in the release that Group RMC “recognized the need to provide tenants with more shared spaces to create community-oriented experiences for those working downtown.”
He said the tower will be among the first office buildings in Jacksonville to offer a community amenity package.
Barakat and Pat Orman with CBRE Advisory & Transaction Services are marketing the property on behalf of the ownership.
The release said the property has about 244,639 square feet available for lease with spaces from 1,138 square feet to 57,000 square feet.
According to CBRE’s Spring 2023 U.S. Office Occupier Sentiment Survey, 65% of respondents say their companies are requiring that employees return to the office.
The release said 67% of U.S. respondents to CBRE’s Global Live-Work-Shop Survey said that they place more importance on the quality of their working environment than they did pre-pandemic, “likely because they have more choices today.”
Also, 47% of respondents rank shared meeting space as important, “likely because occupiers are looking for ways to minimize their leased space as much as possible.”