by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
It has been four days since Harden & Associates moved into its new digs in the Everbank Building in Riverside. The company is now more technologically savvy and the space also offers the company room to grow.
“We outgrew our old building a number of years ago and we began looking (for a new office). We wanted to stay in the center business district,” said Ceree Harden, chairman and CEO of Harden & Associates. “The more we talked about it, a group of investors came together to build this high rise.”
Many of the current tenants in the 13-floor building on Riverside Avenue also invested in the building.
“All of the groups came together to acquire the land,” said Harden.
When they were looking for land to acquire, they realized that the area around them along Riverside Avenue was emerging.
“We are at the apex of I-95 and I-10. Geographically this location is in the center business district,” he said. “It met our primary criteria, and we are also contributing to the redevelopment of Downtown.”
All of the partners in this project created synergy between the companies, said Harden.
Not all of the offices and cubicles are full at Harden & Associates, but Harden said that was part of the plan he and Paul Lunetta, president and COO, had for the company.
“We weren’t able to grow at our old location, (at 806 Riverside Ave). We had a growth limit due to space restrictions,” said Harden. “We had two different buildings we were working out of and there was a loss in productivity because we were going back and forth between buildings.”
The company occupies all of the 10th floor and about half of the ninth floor. The rest of the ninth floor is occupied by other tenants. There is one large conference room on the 10th floor with audio and visual enhancements. Dustin Theilaker, director of IT, said they “future-proofed” their technological capabilities, meaning they are ready for the future technology-wise.
There are also two smaller conference rooms, coffee stations, a break room and training room and a catering kitchen to be used when the company hosts events. Ansley Busch, business development coordinator, said it allows caterers to come in and cook right there in their kitchen.
When plans were in the works to redevelop Riverside Avenue, one of the criteria was to add retail. Harden said the building meets that criteria, because the bottom floor is wrapped with retail space.
“It’s the first retail strip along Riverside Avenue,” he said. “This was as good a location as you can find.”
The building is 90 percent occupied, he said, adding that the former owners of Cafe Nola, Pam and Bruce Pollett are no longer planning to open Chives on the ground floor.
EverBank Plaza Tenants
501 Riverside Ave.
• Harden & Associates, Inc.
• LBA Certified Public Accountants
• Peek Cobb, Edwards & Ragatz, P.A.
• EverBank
• EverBank Retail Branch
• Rock Creek Partners, Ltd.
• Volpe,Bajalia,Wickes,Rogerson & Wachs
• Fisher, Tousey, Leas & Ball
• Cooke & Meux, P.A.
• United Football League, LLC