by Kent Jennings Brockwell
Staff Writer
Renovations are progressing on the Elks Building on the corner of Adams and Laura streets in preparation of Cannon Design moving its Jacksonville office from its current Independent Square location.
Joe Calvarese, principal and regional director for the New York-based national design firm, said the move was sparked by a need for change and the fact that their lease was about to expire.
“We thought it would be a good time for a change,” said Calvarese, “and change is good.”
Calvarese said the firm has been located on the 33rd floor of Independent Square for about 10 years but has been in Jacksonville since the mid-1980s.
“We were looking for an older building with more historical character, as well as more square footage,” he said. “We have gotten to the point where people were sitting on top of each other.”
Though their Jacksonville office currently has 22 employees, Calvarese said he plans to increase staff size to 30 people within one year of the new move.
Cannon Design’s new office will occupy most of the top floor of the old Elks Building, which is about one block from Hemming Plaza.
The firm will occupy 7,900 of the existing 9,100 square feet of the first floor, which is being renovated. The floor’s remaining 1,200 square-foot area is vacant, but Calvarese said his firm has a first refusal option regarding the space.
“You can call it renovation, but it is actually new construction,” said Calvarese. “Basically, we have gutted the building and are building new spaces.”
When the approximately $500,000 construction project is complete in late November, Cannon Design will have to move in quickly. Calvarese said they have to be in the new location by Dec. 1.
Cannon Design has designed several local prominent projects, including the new 120,000 square-foot surgical services center at Baptist Medical Center, the advanced technology center at Florida Community College at Jacksonville and the new Duval County Courthouse. They also designed the school of accounting at the University of Florida.
As far as the design for their new office space downtown, Calvarese said they are “trying to create modern, contemporary offices that project the image Cannon represents.
“We are very excited about the potential of the move,” he said. “Jacksonville is a major growth center for the country. We are investing in our growth here.”