| 1 Independent Square | |
|---|---|
 Water Street entrance | |
  Location within Central Jacksonville Show map of Central Jacksonville 1 Independent Square (Jacksonville) (Florida) Show map of Florida | |
| Former names |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Office[1] |
| Architectural style | Modernist |
| Location |
|
| Coordinates | 30°19′33″N81°39′32″W / 30.32579°N 81.65888°W /30.32579; -81.65888 |
| Construction started | 1972 |
| Completed | 1974[1] |
| Opening | 1974[1] |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 645 ft (197 m)[2] |
| Roof | 535 ft (163 m)[1] |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 37[1] |
| Lifts/elevators | 15[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | KBJ Architects[1] |
| Main contractor | The Auchter Company[1] |
1 Independent Square is askyscraper inthe downtown area ofJacksonville,Florida, located northwest of theMain Street Bridge and north ofSt. Johns River, at the southeast corner of Bay andLaura streets. Standing 535 feet (163 meters) tall, it is the city's second-tallest building.[1][3] It was formerly known as theModis Building until 2011, whenWells Fargo acquired thenaming rights.[4][5][6] From 2011 to 2024, it was known as the Wells Fargo Center. In July 2024, the building was renamed to 1 Independent Square after Wells Fargo did not renew its naming rights.[7][8]
The tower was completed in 1974 by the Independent Life and Accident Insurance Company, and was known as theIndependent Life Building. Built byThe Auchter Company.[4][9] It was designed byKBJ Architects, who received the Honor Award for Outstanding Achievement in Design by the Jacksonville Chapter of theAmerican Institute of Architects for the design.[1][10] The design concept included a sloping base and large corner frames to provide a distinctive image not only for the company, but also as an identifying landmark for the city of Jacksonville.[10]
Beginning in 1995, Independent Life was acquired by theAmerican General Life Insurance Company, and operations were gradually moved toNashville, Tennessee.[11][12] The building was sold to Associated Capital Properties, and the Jacksonville staffing company AccuStaff moved in and acquired the naming rights, and it became theAccuStaff Building.[13] In 2002, AccuStaff changed its name toMPS Group. It renamed the building the Modis Building, after one of the company's main brands, and added Modis signage.[4] In 2009, MPS Group was acquired by theSwiss firmAdecco Group, which announced the company would relocate to Jacksonville's suburbs.[4] The move was completed in 2011 and the signage was removed, and the building was renamedIndependent Square.[3][14]
In May 2011,Wells Fargo, which had acquired theWachovia financial services company, announced it would relocate local employees to the building.[3][5][15] Signage went up on the Wells Fargo Center on September 26 and the relocation completed by April 2012.[6]
After downsizing their space in the building, Wells Fargo lost naming rights for the building and it subsequently was renamed to 1 Independent Square.[8] The Wells Fargo signage was removed from the exterior of the building on July 14, 2024.[16]
1 Independent Square has 37 floors and held the title of the tallest building in Florida until 1981, whenOne Tampa City Center was completed.[1] It remained the tallest building in Jacksonville until 1990, when theBank of America Tower surpassed it in height. The building takes up an entire city block in Jacksonville's downtown. A notable feature of the structure is a four-storyatrium of tropical vegetation where the public enters.[10] The first floor also contained an auditorium with seating for 360 patrons, a bank, restaurants, and several retail stores.[17]
Parkway Properties is a third-party service provider for the building.[18]
One major tenant in 1 Independent Square is the River Club of Jacksonville, a private business club that occupies the top two floors of the building. Originally known as the Jacksonville Businessmen's Club, it was established in 1954 after the fashion of similar organizations inNew York City,Chicago andWashington, D.C.[19] It was formerly located on the 16th floor of the Prudential Building (now known as theAetna Building), the city's tallest building when it opened in 1955.[20][21] It relocated to its current space in 1976, but did not offer memberships to women until 1985.[20] The club has been owned and managed by a subsidiary ofGate Petroleum since 2003.[22]
In September 2017, Hurricane Irma's storm surge caused major flooding in Jacksonville's downtown area. These events impacted the parking garage of 1 Independent Square, which was briefly closed. The building reopened on September 29.
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Tallest building in Jacksonville 1974–1990 163m | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Tallest building in Florida 1974–1981 163m | Succeeded by |
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