When VyStar Credit Union decided to build and own an estimated $22 million, seven-story parking garage to support its growing Downtown corporate campus, CEO Brian Wolfburg said the organization “didn’t want to build just any parking garage.”
“Downtown Jacksonville is our home and we know investing in the infrastructure of Jacksonville will help it to prosper, will help it to grow,” Wolfburg said.
“We invested time and energy in putting forward a best-in-class design.”
Wolfburg and VyStar board members were joined Aug. 11 by city and JAX Chamber officials at a groundbreaking ceremony for the 807-space structure at 28 W. Forsyth St.
The garage, designed by Dasher Hurst Architects, features fabric sails, VyStar’s branded blue uplighting and 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.
The credit union bought the nearby 23-story VyStar Tower at 76 S. Laura St. in July 2018 for $59 million. It acquired an adjacent parking garage and is renovating a seven-story building next door at 100 W. Bay St. with three restaurant concepts by The Bread and Board.
Retail part of plan
Project contractor Danis expects the garage construction to be completed in 12 months.
Danis Vice President of Operations David Kottmyer said site work will begin Aug. 16 and cranes could be in the air within four to six weeks.
Wolfburg told reporters that he’s “very confident” the garage’s 8,000- to 9,000-square-foot retail space on Laura Street will be leased by the time the parking deck is in operation.
VyStar leadership has not settled what will be in that space or the remaining 3,000- to 4,000-square-foot retail area facing Main Street, which Wolfburg said could be leased for “experimental” or pop-up shops.
Wolfburg said the credit union is considering restaurants, child care and pet services.
“We try to think through things that would be needed by our employee base, as well as other individuals as they make the chose to move Downtown,” he said.
Downtown Investment Authority CEO Lori Boyer said that VyStar and her agency are aligned in their strategy to create street-level activity in the Central Core.
“This is a beautiful building. It is not just a parking garage that creates dead space along the street,” Boyer said. “It won’t.”
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