VyStar Tower (originally American Heritage Life Building) is a

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ri ...

in the downtown area of

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

, at the northwest corner of Independent Drive and

Laura Street Laura Street is a north–south street in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, named for the daughter of the city's founder, Isaiah D. Hart. Historically, the downtown portion of Laura Street has been considered the financial district of Jac ...

. Standing tall, it is the city's sixth tallest building. It was formerly known as the SunTrust Tower, Jacksonville Center and the Humana Building, among other names. Completed in 1989, the building was designed in the

postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or Rhetorical modes, mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by philosophical skepticism, skepticis ...

style by the Jacksonville firm

KBJ Architects KBJ Architects, Inc. (KBJ) is an American architectural firm based in Jacksonville, Florida. The firm designed 17 of the city's 30 tallest buildings and "created Jacksonville's modern skyline", according to '' The Florida Times-Union'' newspaper.Ke ...

. In 2018, it was announced that

VyStar Credit Union VyStar Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative that is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It offers a comprehensive selection of products, including deposit and loan services for consumers and businesses, as well as investments, ...

, the second largest

credit union A credit union, a type of financial institution similar to a commercial bank, is a member-owned nonprofit financial cooperative. Credit unions generally provide services to members similar to retail banks, including deposit accounts, provis ...

, and sixteenth largest in the country, was purchasing the building for its new headquarters. The deal was finalized in late 2019, after the lease of the former tenant,

Suntrust SunTrust Banks, Inc. was an American bank holding company with SunTrust Bank as its largest subsidiary and assets of US$199 billion as of March 31, 2018. The bank's most direct corporate parent was established in 1891 in Atlanta, where it was h ...

, had expired. VyStar completed construction of its sign atop the building in August 2019. On July 1, 2020, VyStar finished the installation of electric blue LED edge lighting on the top tiers of the tower to accompany the VyStar sign. The project was completed by local businesses Dana B. Kenyon Company, Miller Electric Company and RS&H and was part of a multi-phase initiative by the credit union to bolster its VyStar Campus, which includes the 100 W. Bay building next to the VyStar Tower. The improvements made to the 100 W. Bay building include the addition of food and retail space. In March 2020, The Bread & Board, a local food concept that offers sandwiches, charcuterie and more, announced it planned to open its third location on the first floor of the VyStar Credit Union’s downtown campus at 100 W. Bay St. Including the VyStar Tower and the 100 W. Bay building, VyStar planned to move more than 1,000 employees to downtown Jacksonville.

References

{{Jacksonville attractions KBJ Architects buildings Skyscraper office buildings in Jacksonville, Florida Postmodern architecture in Florida Downtown Jacksonville Northbank, Jacksonville Laura Street Office buildings completed in 1989 1989 establishments in Florida

See also

References