by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
By definition, there’s never a second chance to make a first impression.
Initial impressions at Independent Square, one of Downtown’s iconic edifices, are the responsibility of Sheri Webber, the building’s concierge.
“Every day, I make sure our tenants and guests are safe and happy,” she said.
From her desk in the center of the lobby, Webber greets people who enter the building, whether they’re there to work or visit a tenant upstairs or one of several businesses on the ground floor.
“This is a very public building. I make sure that when people come here, they feel welcome,” said Webber.
Independent Square features 33 floors of office space and The River Club at the top. In the lobby, there’s a restaurant, a jewelry store, a hair salon, a bank, a copy center and a variety store.
Independent Square opened as the Independent Life Building in June 1975. It’s 535 feet tall, took 22 million pounds of steel to construct, has 7,556 windows and 1 million square feet of interior space.
One frequent question for Webber is, “Where is the directory?”
“I tell people I’m the directory,” she said.
Another responsibility is working with the building’s security personnel. Webber doesn’t work for the building’s owner, Eola Capital. She works for First Coast Security, which has its office in the building.
“I’m an extra set of eyes and ears. I know who belongs in the building and who doesn’t,” said Webber.
She issues security badges to new employees of all the firms and businesses in the building and coordinates emergency procedures. In the case of a building evacuation, Webber knows which employees have special needs and might require assistance.
She also schedules the building’s conference rooms and the 350-seat auditorium that’s available not only to tenants, but also to clubs and organizations on a rental basis.
Webber said she has the best office in town. “It’s certainly the biggest and most beautiful,” she said, referring to the more than 1,000 tropical plants that surround fountains and the glass elevator from the lobby to the 250-car underground parking garage.
A graduate of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and with a degree in fine arts from Jacksonville University, Webber said she also appreciates the building’s two art galleries. One’s on the second floor and the other is in the lobby near Bay and Laura streets.
Every fine hotel has someone on staff whose full-time job is to provide a high level of personal service for guests, but having a concierge is an amenity most office building owners have abandoned.
Eola Capital Property Manager Dan Frey said Webber performs an important job that makes Independent Square stand out in the Downtown commercial real estate market.
“Amenities are what attract and retain tenants. Sheri is an extension of Eola Capital. When someone walks in the door, they could be a tenant or they might be visiting a tenant, or they might be a future tenant,” he said.
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