By year-end 2019, Downtown could see more than 900 additional employees as VyStar Credit Union moves in.
VyStar is preparing space for its move into its Downtown tower that could include more than the 700 first discussed.
VyStar President and CEO Brian Wolfburg said Tuesday most of the staff will start to move to the tower in March and continue through year-end 2019.
He said VyStar expects to relocate more than 715 employees by the end of 2019, “but we continue to work on how to accommodate an additional 150-200 staff that we would ideally like to locate Downtown.”
The building name will change in midsummer.
The Jacksonville-based financial services institution seeks permits to renovate and repair space on 13 floors of the 23-story tower at 76 S. Laura St.
Dana B. Kenyon Co. is the contractor for the $2.2 million project, which is for core upgrades that include restroom and elevator lobby work.
Plans indicate work on the second through ninth floors, 12th floor, 19th and 20th floors and the 22nd and 23rd floors.
The work covers part or all of each of those levels, totaling more than 68,000 square feet of the 358,278-square-foot building.
Wolfburg said the total remodel will cover 195,000 to 200,000 square feet of space over 16 floors. VyStar also will open a branch office.
He said VyStar is working through a stacking diagram “that has us making use of all of the space on 16 of the 23 floors.”
“The 22nd and 23rd floors are being developed as an employee lounge to enable all employees to be able to experience the best of what our tower and Downtown have to offer,” Wolfburg said.
VyStar said in June it would maintain the leases in the building and evaluate each as it comes due. It will occupy more space as tenant leases expire.
VyStar paid $59 million for the high-rise in July and said it would move 700 employees Downtown.
At the time, it said it would occupy 11 levels with the executive floor on the 20th story and the employee lounge, cowork space and other employee benefits and amenities on the 22nd and 23rd floors.
SunTrust, whose name now is on the building, confirmed this month that it will relocate to the nearby Bank of America Tower at 50 N. Laura St., where it will lease 18,100 square feet of space.
Wolfburg said SunTrust is relinquishing two floors by year-end that it was not using and will move from its remaining space at the end of its lease in July 2019.
VyStar said previously it wanted to relocate some of its employees to the tower by year-end. Wolfburg said some members of the facilities staff are working onsite on management, maintenance and build-out.
“Due to the need to work through internal information gathering, test fits and floor plans, design details, permitting and construction, only limited staff have transitioned to the Tower at this time,” he said in an email.
VyStar also bought the adjacent 612-space parking garage.
The credit union will renovate its Blanding Boulevard headquarters for continued use.
Wolfburg said a total renovation estimate was not available because the credit union still is receiving proposals for work.