The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office can move most of its operations into the Florida Blue building on the Downtown Northbank after the City Council gave final approval to a lease for the department’s new office space Feb. 25.
Council voted unanimously for the lease, which adds 283,893 square feet of space to the 62,695 square feet that JSO already leases in the 20-story building at 532 Riverside Ave. The item was on the Council’s consent agenda, having been unanimously approved in Council committees.
The initial term is for 210 months with two five-year renewal options, according to staff notes on the legislation authorizing the lease, Ordinance 2025-0069. JSO moved its Homeland Security department and some crime labs into the tower after Council approved legislation in 2023 to lease space in the building.
According to staff notes, the base rates will be $20 per square foot for office space, $6 per square foot for garage and warehouse space, and $35 per square foot for retail space. Those rates will increase 3% annually.
The landlord, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Inc., is providing $24.8 million for tenant improvements. That includes 15 months of rate abatement valued at $8.8 million, which JSO has opted to convert to improvements.
JSO will have access to 1,738 parking spaces at the Florida Blue campus. JSO will be allowed to request up to $20 million in additional tenant improvements in exchange for an incremental increase in monthly rent based on an 8% fixed annual interest rate.
Blue Cross is furnishing the space.
During a January 2023 presentation to the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee, JSO Assistant Chief Scott Dingee said the new space would allow the department to consolidate staff from the Police Memorial Building and other rented office space.
Dingee, who serves in JSO’s general support division, said the department anticipated building-out in three phases, with final employees being moved to the tower near the beginning of 2027.
He said that except for a fueling station, JSO would vacate the Police Memorial Building. Doing so would save $6 million in maintenance and upgrades to the building, he said, such as work on the rooftop helicopter landing pad, air handling units and flooring.
Dingee said JSO officials scouted more than 25 properties before zeroing in on the Florida Blue building.
The Florida Blue building, built in 1950, is 571,459 square feet, according to the Duval County Property Appraiser. There is a four-level parking garage built in 1973.
With a total of 346,588 square feet of space under lease, JSO would occupy 60.6% of the property.
Florida Blue is based at 4800 Deerwood Campus Parkway in Deerwood Park North.