A new look is coming to the Southbank Downtown horizon.
The city is reviewing permit applications for Jacksonville-based Haskell to put up two signs on the 701 San Marco Blvd. tower to replace the logo of Prudential, the previous anchor tenant.
Haskell, a global architecture, engineering, construction and consulting company, is moving from 111 Riverside Ave. and 245 Riverside Ave. on the Northbank to its Southbank location, with a target completion in early 2026 that now is expected later.
“Progress is well underway on the new space build-out as we anticipate a summer move,” Chief Marketing Officer Dave Auchter said March 30.
“Material and system availability are influencing our move-in date, which will consolidate our 600+ Jax-based Haskell team members. Building signage will be installed around the same time as our summer move.”
Haskell has moved some staff into three floors of temporary space at 701 San Marco, as the property is called, as the company prepares for the build-out. It also retained some staff at 245 Riverside Ave.
Novalux Signs Inc. of Jacksonville is listed as the contractor to obtain the sign permits, which call for removal of the Prudential logo and installation of the Haskell logo and name on two elevations of the 19-story tower.
The two permits each carry an estimated project cost of $25,000.
The Jacksonville Downtown Development Review Board approved an exception Aug. 14 tor two illuminated signs on the northwest and southeast exterior walls of the tower.
According to an application filed with the development review board, Haskell plans to remove two signs advertising the previous main tenant of the building, The Prudential Insurance Co. of America, from near the top of the tower and put Haskell signs in the same places.
The new signs will be internally lit and will feature Haskell’s logo and the company’s name spelled in capital block letters. The signs will face Museum Circle and Mary Street.
Plans say the signs will be visible for three-fourths of a mile facing northwest to Downtown and one-quarter mile facing southeast and San Marco. Both fascias will be refurbished to avoid blemishes or holes on the building.
When illuminated, the logo and letters will glow blue and white. When not lit, the logo will remain blue and white, and the letters will be black.
Haskell is renovating four floors for its headquarters relocation.
The city issued a permit Dec. 5 for renovations at a project cost of almost $30.1 million. The project is described as the interior build-out of 138,351 square feet of space on the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th floors to serve as Haskell’s new headquarters.
Haskell Chairman, President and CEO Jim O’Leary announced to his staff March 4, 2025, that the company was moving from its longtime headquarters on the Northbank into the 701 San Marco office tower on the Southbank, remaining in Downtown’s boundary while crossing the St. Johns River.
In 2024, the Jacksonville City Council approved $4.25 million in city incentives toward Haskell’s relocation.
City staff reported that the company had negotiated a 12-year lease with options for two five-year extensions for a new location.
Haskell built the Riverside Avenue headquarters building in 1986. It sold the building and adjacent parking lot for $27.25 million in 2008 and was leasing it back. The property is owned by Jacksonville-based IGS Diamond S Inc. President Irving G. Snyder Jr. through 111 Riverside Avenue LLC, Riverside Plaza A LLC and Riverside Plaza B LLC.
Fleet Landing says it is “evaluating a proposed new community concept” at 111 Riverside Ave. for residents who “will be active, engaged adults age 62 and better.”
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 Class A office building is about 700,000 square feet on 14.5 acres. The building and its adjoining parking garage were built in 1985, property records show.
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.
The largest tenants are Prudential and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The landlord representative is real estate firm JLL.