Riverplace Tower
Located on the Southbank of the beautiful St. Johns River, Riverplace Tower was originally constructed as a build-to-suit for Gulf Life Insurance in 1967 and, at the time, it was the world’s tallest precast post-tensioned concrete structure offering Class A office space. Its 28 floors, Concourse and Plaza levels reach a height of 433 feet.
The unique part of Riverplace Tower’s design is the fact that structural support consists of the central core and the columns and beams located on the outside of the building. Two tapered vertical columns rise on each side of the building and the horizontal beams cross them and cantilever 42 feet to the building corners, where glass meets glass, without column or wall. There are 12 passenger elevators and 2 service elevators all in the service core in the center of the building. This design provides for greater efficiency when space planning your operation as there are no interior columns to deal with.
At the base of the Tower are two levels which are indented from the full width of the building to create a dramatic entry. The Plaza level is a glass-enclosed lobby on the second level and offers a wonderful venue for sitting and relaxation with an array of artwork and a television to catch up on those important issues of the day. Outside of the Plaza level is seating to take in the wonderful weather and views of the river, and surrounding area as well as a putting green for stress relief.
Below the raised Plaza level is the Concourse level which includes a cafeteria with seating overlooking the river. Also located on this level is a sandwich shop, daycare center and security desk which is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Adjacent to the Tower is a five story parking garage on the east side of the building that provides covered access to the Tower. There is also a surface parking lot on the west side. Parking is available to tenants at a ratio of 2.3 spaces per 1,000 square feet of rentable space.
Riverplace Tower was acquired by Gate Petroleum in 1994 at which time there were several renovations and additions made to the building. In 2005 a major upgrade and renovation project was undertaken to bring the Tower’s systems and interior designs up to current standards. These upgrades included a new HVAC system along with new cooling towers and chiller, all new piping for the plumbing of the building, new roof, new electrical and lighting, new mechanicals for the elevator system and new alarm system. In addition, there have been a host of cosmetic upgrades including newly tiled and carpeted floors, new lobbies inclusive of ceilings, lighting and elevator surrounds and an abundance of new artwork to provide a pleasing atmosphere.