VyStar Credit Union plans to take down the SunTrust name this month and put up its signs in August on the 23-story Downtown tower it bought almost a year ago.
Judy Walz, chief marketing and planning officer of Jacksonville-based VyStar, said Monday it should take most of August to complete putting the VyStar name on the 76 S. Laura St. property.
The city issued permits Friday for Brown Enterprises to put up four signs at a cost of $33,258.
The signs include those on revolving doors and on the parking garage entrance.
In April, the city issued two permits for Brown Enterprises to put up the VyStar name and logo on the east and west elevations of the top of the building at a total cost of $377,026.
That elevates the sign costs to $410,284.
The SunTrust lease expires at the end of July and it is moving into the Bank of America Tower.
SunTrust spokesman Hugh Suhr said that provided there are no build-out delays, "We should be up and running in the new space around mid-July. " He referred questions about the signage removal to VyStar.
VyStar Credit Union bought the SunTrust Tower on July 31 for $59 million and the adjacent former Life of the South Building at 100 W. Bay St. in February for $5 million.
VyStar intends to move its headquarters operations and up to 1,000 people Downtown. Some already are in the tower.
Walz said there will be signs on the seven-story Bay Street building but not for a few more months as VyStar renovates the structure.
VyStar will move the functions from Blanding Boulevard in Southwest Jacksonville.
It won’t be just the signs that light up.
CEO and President Brian Wolfburg told the Downtown Council of the JAX Chamber on June 7 that VyStar was working with lighting designers on the Downtown structures. “We’re going to be illuminating the full outline and profile of both the public buildings, so at night a whole block will be lit up,” he said.
Wolfburg said VyStar was making a commitment to public art by commissioning some large sculptures and is working with public space designers.
He intends to activate the alleyway between the buildings; make enhancements to the food truck area; bring in shipping containers to house pop-up businesses; and host a farmers market for employees once a week.
At 100 W. Bay St., Wolfburg envisions restaurant and retail space on the ground level and a rooftop deck.
“We’re looking at how to continue to optimize the retail space,” he said, such as being able to offer breakfast, lunch and dinner to serve employees as well as visitors, including those who attend Downtown events.
“We’re committed to the community and to our employees,” Wolfburg said. “We’re being very flexible with tenants and working with people to make sure that it works for them to be on the leading edge of ... coming Downtown.”
