by Monica Tsai
Staff Writer
Foley & Lardner, a national law firm, will move in June 2004 to Independent Square to accommodate expected expansion.
“We wanted to stay downtown,” said Charles Hedrick, managing partner of the firm’s Jacksonville office. “It is important to the litigators to be close to the courthouse.”
The partners deliberated at length over the proper location for the move from the Greenleaf Building, where the firm is spread out over nine floors.
Numbering close to three dozen attorneys, the firm wanted 40,000 square feet for current and future needs. Small downtown properties were quickly dismissed, whittling the choices to the larger office complexes or high-rise towers.
Buying an existing property or building their own office — like Coffman, Coleman, Andrews & Grogan did — was not considered an option due to company policy.
“Foley & Lardner’s practice is to lease space rather than be in the real estate business,” explained Hedrick. “Our decision was a function of that corporate philosophy.”
Foley & Lardner will occupy the 13th, part of the 14th and the 15th floor at the new site. The middle level will house the accounting department, file room, break room and other administrative purposes. Floors 13 and 15 will be dedicated to attorneys’ offices, secretaries and conference rooms. Hedrick describes the projected final product to be a “fairly traditional office.”
Before the first file folder is boxed and moved, much preparation is needed at their new home, beginning with a complete space design. These plans are not yet complete.
The firm still has to identify a contractor, issue requests for proposals and negotiate contracts before any construction can start. Office walls must be erected, clerical stations must be built, and wiring installed.
“There were no internal improvements made,” said Hedrick. “We are filling in with the central core services that we need.”
As for the historic structure they’re leaving behind, the owners of that building are undecided whether to sell or rent the Greenleaf Building once Foley & Lardner’s lease expires in June.
Other tenants remaining in the building include two other law firms, a utility company and a jeweler.
“We’re in discussion with several potential buyers and tenants,” said Charlie Commander, one of a group of individual partners who own the building.
“We bought and renovated the building for our firm [Commander, Legler, et al.] which became Foley & Lardner,” said Mitchell Legler, another of the building’s owners. “Foley & Lardner has been an excellent tenant for a number of years.”
The targeted move-in date is June 1. Once the space is complete, the physical move is anticipated to take about six hours. They will have enough room for 50 lawyers, with the option to add more space at various renewal points in the lease. The additional space is to accommodate normal growth trends typified by their previous experience.