by Rachel Witkowski
Staff Writer
As the condo market continues to rise in Jacksonville, so does its height.
A design plan to build a high-rise condominium tower, the St. John, will mark the city’s tallest building on the Southbank. Hines, an international private real estate firm and partner South Shore Group Partners, LLC, released the design Thursday at the Aetna Building, adjacent to the future sight of the St. John. The proposed 51-story, 300-unit building was designed by Arquitectonica International Corp.
The building will sit on the corner of Southbank next to the Acosta Bridge and 15 feet from the St. Johns River. Rather than building a typical point tower, Arquitectonica curved the corners of the building to make it equally proportionate from any direction, allowing the wind to flow around it, said Bernardo Fort-Brescia, principal of Arquitectonica.
“We want a very pure building, a very pure shape,” he said. “You want a sense of purity and power in this location and that’s what we tried to create here.”
Each floor has six to eight units and two to four units in the penthouse floors. The unit size ranges from 780 square-foot single bedroom to a 3,400 square-foot penthouse and each includes a curved balcony. Every condo owner will be able to select the design, coloring and flooring of their unit, said Michael Harrison, senior vice president of Hines. The condos will start at $400,000 to about $5 million for a penthouse, said Harrison.
“We really do think we are selecting the best of the best and we hope you will agree,” he said.
At the top of the building is a giant light tower that Harrison said he hopes will become the “beacon for Downtown.” A large pool with a riverfront view and cabana area will be on the top floor of the garage connected to the building. A riverfront fitness center, yoga studio, saunas, spa and tai chi lawn were also included in the proposed design. And a 12-foot-wide riverwalk will be created for public access.
“It’s a one of a kind site in any major city,” said Harrison. “It’s what we believe will be timeless architecture.”
Walter O’Shea, vice president of Hines, said ground breaking is expected to begin in six months and construction should be complete in 2009. Hines is currently taking bids for contractors. The pre-sales for the St. John through Hines is expected to start in mid June, according to Harrison.
Jeffrey Hines, president of Hines, said no matter how many units are presold, the company did not spend a lot of money just to go through the architecture design — the St. John will be built.
“Hines is extremely happy to be a part of the continuing evolution of the city,” he said. “Quality, value and long term perfection are what defines Hines architecture.”