Barnett National Bank Building


The Barnett is a skyscraper in the downtown area of Jacksonville, Florida, at the southwest corner of Adams and Laura streets.

History

The building was erected in 1926 and was Jacksonville's tallest building at the time, surpassing the Heard National Bank Building. It was designed by architecture firm Mowbray & Uffinger for Barnett Bank. It remained Jacksonville's tallest building until the construction of the building now known as the Aetna Building in 1954. By the late 1990s it had fallen to disrepair; plans to restore and redevelop the building were proposed throughout the 2000s, but ultimately fell through. A local group led by developer Steve Atkins purchased the property, along with the Laura Street Trio, with the help of a loan from Stache Investments. On May 22, 2015, Stache Investments filed a complaint to foreclose on the building, claiming it is owed almost $3.77 million as of December 5, 2014.
Atkins' group, SouthEast Group, was able to reacquire the building with the help of Las Vegas-based The Molasky Group. The group has restored the building, aided by KBJ Architects. It is now home to the University of North Florida Center for Entrepreneurship, commercial offices, 107 apartment units, Vagabond Coffee, and a Chase Bank branch location.