Board members approved the resolution 5-1, giving DIA CEO Aundra Wallace and his team authorization to negotiate a land swap agreement between the city and the authority.
JEA wants to build a new campus Downtown.
JEA is based at 21 W. Church St. It proposes to swap that 1.84-acre site with city for a 1.52-acre parcel at 337 W. Adams St. near the Duval County Courthouse.
Board member Jack Meeks voted against it.
“I would prefer them not demolish it,” he said. “We have a historic neighborhood and a contributing structure, which I don’t think needs to be torn down.”
After the utility builds its new office, it would market and attempt to sell the Church Street property. If no buyer can be found, the buildings would be demolished and the vacant property given to the city.
Meeks said tearing down the 19-story tower and accompanying customer service center built in 1962 is not something he supports.
If JEA can’t sell the property, which is valued at $1.63 million, the demolition process won’t be easy.
The buildings are considered contributing properties in the Downtown Jacksonville Historic District as listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Any attempt to tear them down would require the Historic Preservation Commission’s approval.
The commission would need to identify four of seven standards for historic preservation to deny the request.
If denied, JEA would present its request to City Council, which would vote on which direction to take.
Those steps wouldn’t happen, however, until JEA moved into its new building.
A preliminary timeline shows that wouldn’t happen until at least 2020.
The DIA and JEA now have 60 days to negotiate the final land swap agreement.
If both approve the deal, it will be introduced as legislation to council.