More details are emerging about Haskell’s relocation to the Downtown Southbank of the St. Johns River from its headquarters in the Brooklyn area of the Northbank.
The city is reviewing permitting and plans for Haskell, a Jacksonville-based global building services company, to start preparing 138,351 square feet of space at the 701 San Marco office tower.
In addition to the size of the space, new details are that Haskell will lease the 11th through 14th floors of the 19-story east wing of the structure at 701 San Marco Blvd., previously called the Prudential Building.
Haskell is listed as the contractor for the estimated $1.5 million interior demolition of the floors to “white space” status, meaning it will be prepared for new interior construction.
Gensler, with a main office in San Francisco and a satellite office in Tampa, is the architect.
Bradford Allen San Marco LLC is the property owner and landlord.
Haskell’s plans
Haskell Chairman, President and CEO Jim O’Leary announced to his staff March 4 that the company is moving from its longtime headquarters, while remaining in Downtown’s boundary while crossing the St Johns River.
“... we are moving our headquarters to a new building!” O’Leary wrote to Jacksonville headquarters office-based team members at 111 and 245 Riverside Ave. in the Brooklyn area.
The full move is expected in early 2026 into the San Marco tower that previously was called the Prudential Building.
“Following last fall’s Team Talks in Jacksonville and questions about the future of Haskell’s HQ location, we shared that two options were being explored,” he wrote.
“Our lease at 111 Riverside was under renewal negotiations and with the size of the expanding team in Jacksonville, we were also considering opportunities within the downtown core to allow us to build toward the future.”
O’Leary wrote that with the team’s growth in Jacksonville, the space at 111 Riverside Ave. was maximized, which required leasing additional office space at 245 Riverside Ave.
“Having two separate offices is not ideal and we are pleased to announce that a new consolidated location has been selected to serve as Haskell-HQ for the future: 701 San Marco Boulevard (the Prudential Building),” he wrote.
“This space will be reimagined to represent an international company leading in innovation, creativity, and community. The Haskell brand will be more visible and prominent than ever.”
A photo rendering with the email shows Haskell directional signage upon entry to the building and a signage option on the top of the building. That option typically is subject to a lease arrangement with the landlord.
“Haskell has always prioritized a presence close to downtown and the new office provides a tremendous opportunity to rethink workspace collaboration,” O’Leary wrote.
He said Haskell is partnering with Gensler on the “magnitude of design work around the adaptive reuse” of the 701 San Marco building.
O’Leary said the 111 Riverside lease had not been extended, so Haskell would relocate to temporary space in the 701 San Marco Blvd. building as the newly leased offices are built-out.
“Team members will move to the interim space until the final move to our new workspace, scheduled for early 2026,” he wrote.
O’Leary wrote that with 2025 representing Haskell’s 60th anniversary, a new HQ will allow “ideas to flourish, camaraderie to thrive, and serve as a hub for engagement.”
The email did not indicate the size of the new headquarters space.
Project Blue Sky
Code-named Project Blue Sky, Haskell will receive $4.25 million in city incentives to relocate within Downtown under final action Dec. 10, 2024, by the Jacksonville City Council.
Council voted 17-1 to adopt Resolution 2024-0946 for the incentive package, which comprises:
• A $2.3 million Recapture Enhanced Value Grant for 75% of the increased real and personal property taxes generated by the project site over 15 years. A REV grant is a refund on ad valorem tax revenue generated by a new development or property enhancement.
• A Local Training Grant of up to $1.2 million, or $2,000 for each of 600 jobs the company will retain through its relocation.
• A Local Targeted Industry Employment grant of up to $750,000, based on $5,000 per job for 150 positions the company has pledged to add over up to five years at an annual average salary of $118,000.
Council member Rory Diamond voted against the incentives, and member Jimmy Peluso was not present for the vote.
As reported Oct. 9 in the Daily Record, descriptions of Project Blue Sky in city documents matched Haskell.
City staff reported that the company had negotiated a 12-year lease with options for two five-year extensions for a new location where it plans to invest $20 million on improvements for new offices.
The incentive request did not identify the new site, but a marketing brochure for 701 San Marco showed it could accommodate those needs.
Under terms of the incentive deal, if the company decides against extending the lease, the REV grant would end after the 12-year term expires.
On Nov. 20, the Downtown Investment Authority board voted 9-0 to recommend a previous version of the package that included a $1.3 million City Training Grant. That incentive was subsequently reduced to reflect a reduction in job retention by Project Blue Sky, from 650 to 600.
After advancing to Council, the package was further negotiated to extend the payment period for the City Training Grant and Local Training Grant.
Those changes reflect concerns among some Council members that the city needs to curb its commitments for incentives.
Haskell’s Brooklyn area sites
Haskell built the three-story, almost 120,000-square-foot building on 3.15 acres along Riverside Avenue in 1986. That size increases to more than 230,000 square feet including garage, base and balconies areas.
Haskell sold the property in 2008 and was leasing it back.
It also was leasing at least 16,520 square feet of space on the 12th floor of the Gates of Riverside building at 245 Riverside Ave., according to a property site brochure.
Vice President Dave Auchter said previously that Haskell has 650 employees in its Downtown space.
701 San Marco
Chicago-based Bradford Allen Investment Advisors paid $70 million in August 2022 for what was then called the Prudential Building and rebranded it 701 San Marco.
Bradford Allen acquired the property through Bradford Allen San Marco LLC from The Prudential Insurance Company of America.
The property, comprising almost 750,000 square feet of Class A office space, and a three-level parking garage were built in 1985.
The Class A office building is about 700,000 square feet and sits on 14.5 acres.
The building and its adjoining parking garage were built in 1985, property records show.
JLL represented Prudential, which had owned the building since its construction, in the sale.
The 701 San Marco building comprises a seven-story west wing and a 19-story east wing connected by a pedestrian walkway over San Marco Boulevard, landlord representative JLL said.
The largest tenants in place at 701 San Marco are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Prudential. Signage is available.
Media reports in March said the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, with 750 to 800 employees, would be vacating, but news soon followed that it would not.
The leasing agents are Preston Phillips, Jesse Shimp and Michael Loftin with JLL.