Icon Norfolk (formerly Bank of America Center) in
Downtown Norfolk, Virginia Downtown Norfolk serves as the traditional center of commerce, government, and culture in the Hampton Roads region. Norfolk, Virginia's downtown waterfront shipping and port activities historically played host to numerous and often noxious port and ...
, United States, was the tallest building in Virginia from 1967-1971, when it was surpassed in height by Richmond City Hall. Constructed as a bank building, it was converted in the late 2010s to apartments and given its current name.
History
The tower was designed by
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is an American architectural, urban planning and engineering firm. It was founded in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel A. Owings, Nathaniel Owings in Chicago, Illinois. In 1939, they were joined by engineer Jo ...
, one of the country's leading architectural firms, and constructed from 1965-1967. The building was the tallest in the state of Virginia from 1967-1971, when it was surpassed in height by
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
City Hall. Today, it is the second-tallest building in
City of Norfolk.
Conceived as the headquarters for
Virginia National Bank (VNB), the building retained headquarters status for
Sovran Bank
Sovran Bank was a US-based regional bank that operated in Virginia between 1983 and 1990, and was the leading subsidiary of Sovran Financial Corporation. It was itself a product of a merger between ''First & Merchants Bank'' of Richmond and ''Vir ...
, formed from the merger of VNB and First & Merchants Bank of Richmond in 1983. After a series of mergers beginning in 1990 (including
NationsBank
NationsBank was one of the largest banking corporations in the United States, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company named NationsBank was formed through the merger of several other banks in 1991, and prior to that had been through mul ...
), the building became the regional office for
Bank of America
The Bank of America Corporation (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bank w ...
in 1998, and was named after the bank.
In 2010, the building was losing tenants to newer office towers in Downtown Norfolk, including the Wells Fargo Center, while the
Maersk Line Limited
Maersk Line or Maersk SeaLand is a Danish international container shipping company and the largest operating subsidiary of the Maersk Group, a Danish business conglomerate. Founded in 1928, it is the world's largest container shipping company by ...
shipping company retained its headquarters there.
In late 2015, developers announced plans to convert the building to a 300-unit luxury apartment tower with ground-level retail. The building was renamed ''Icon Norfolk'', part of a larger project known as CityWalk which would redeveloped an adjacent office building at 2 Commercial Place.
In August 2016, Bank of America announced its relocatation to 999
Waterside Drive
State Route 337 (SR 337) is a primary state highway in the South Hampton Roads area of the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs east from Suffolk to Portsmouth, where it crosses Jordan Bridge. It continues on the east side of the Southern Branch E ...
, the former
Dominion Tower, several blocks away.
The tower was then remodeled as ''Icon Norfolk Apartments'', and the address was modified to 321 E. Main Street.
See also
*
Virginia National Bank Headquarters Historic District
The Virginia National Bank Headquarters Historic District encompasses a skyscraper, parking garage, and public plaza in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Bounded by East Main and Atlantic Streets, Commercial Place, and Waterside Drive, it includes th ...
*
List of tallest buildings in Norfolk, Virginia
The history of high-rises in Norfolk, Virginia, began in the early 1900s with the construction of such structures as the 12-story Royster Building in 1912.
The skyline of Downtown Norfolk remained relatively low to mid-rise until the 1960s whic ...
References
External links
Icon Norfolk website
Office buildings in Norfolk, Virginia
Skyscraper office buildings in Norfolk, Virginia
Office buildings completed in 1967
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill buildings
Bank of America buildings
Buildings and structures in Norfolk, Virginia
Downtown Norfolk, Virginia
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