Less than a month after the Downtown Development Review Board voted Jan. 11 to approve kasper architects + associates Inc.’s plans for exterior and interior renovations to its office in the Cathedral District, the city issued a permit for a $423,000 project.
Jacksonville-based Tenant Contractors Inc. is the contractor for the project, which includes demolition of nonload-bearing walls and construction of new partition walls to configure a new office space on the first and second levels of the office building.
Plans show improvements to the building’s interior and exterior.
Erik Kasper, president and principal architect, said in January that interior work would begin soon at a total estimated cost of $650,000.
The Jacksonville-based company’s planned urban studio is at 500 N. Ocean St., at northwest Ocean and Church streets.
The vacant building, constructed in 1982 northwest of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, is nearly 5,000 square feet.
Kasper Land LLC bought the office structure for $585,000 in August 2023.
In a letter of support from the Cathedral District board, Ginny Myrick, CEO and president, and Syd Gervin, board chair, wrote:
“We concluded the project will be a significant, positive addition to the neighborhood and meets our Design Standards. It’s very important to our Board that businesses as well as residents seek to reside in the Cathedral District. Kasper Architect’s design and creative night lighting on the exterior captures the feel of the neighborhood exactly.”
The firm plans to maintain its core studio at 10175 Fortune Parkway near The Avenues mall. It also has a branch office in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Kasper said in January he hopes the work on the Ocean Street building will be completed in April to mark the company’s 20th anniversary.
The exterior portion of the renovation includes adding brick veneer to the Church and Ocean Street elevations, increasing the size of six windows and installing aluminum storefronts for all windows, according to the DDRB staff report.
The gray bricks match the color palette of the Cathedral District neighborhood, Kasper said.
