Article by Ennis Davis, AICP

AT&T Building (1972)

424 Pearl Street

The AT&T Building in downtown may be one of the purest forms of Brutalist architecture in the city. Built as a switching station for the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, the largely windowless tower rises above an older 8-story brick Art Deco switching station.

Centennial Towers (1977)

230 East 1st Street

Centennial Towers was built by the Jacksonville Housing Authority in 1977. Recently JHA and Jacksonville-based The Vestcor Companies announced a plan to partner to renovate the 14-story, 208 one-bedroom senior apartment building at an estimated cost of $14.5 million.

Federal Reserve Bank (1987)

800 Water Street

In 1987, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Jacksonville Branch opened its third and largest location in Downtown to date. A highly secure building, the structure contains more than 182,000 square feet.

Florida Blue (1971)

523 Riverside Avenue

Completed in 1971 for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, this 20 story tower was the second tallest building constructed in Jacksonville during the 1970s. Founded in 1944, the company was renamed Florida Blue in 2012.

Hogan Creek Tower (1974)

1300 Broad Street

The Hogan Creek Towers Apartments is a 15 story, 209 unit building developed by the Jacksonville Housing Authority in 1974. The development was a part of an urban renewal plan that destroyed the upscale Black neighborhood of Sugar Hill.