Developers behind Jacksonville’s multi-billion-dollar Pearl Square project have announced 655 Pearl, a six-story, 100,000-square-foot office building that will anchor the $750 million mixed-use neighborhood now under construction in the downtown Core Business District. The announcement marks the first new multi-tenant office tower planned for Jacksonville’s North Core in more than 20 years, representing a significant milestone for the area’s revitalization efforts.
“Last four years, business has been pretty good, and it’s going to get even better,” said Marvin Hearman, whose family-run restaurant Starving Like Marvin sits in the center of the Pearl Square footprint. “I heard previously that tenants didn’t do too well. So for us to come in and knock it out of the box, and it’s growing - everything is growing.” Hearman has watched the area stall and start again for years, telling reporters that while business is good, the neighborhood needs more energy.
The newly announced office building is designed by Morris Adjmi Architects and BDG Architects, featuring a ground-floor retail level spanning roughly 25,000 square feet. According to JLL, the firm overseeing leasing for the project, 655 Pearl is designed to feel less like a traditional office tower and more integrated into the mixed-use development. The building represents a cornerstone of the broader Pearl Square development that aims to transform Jacksonville’s downtown landscape.
For longtime business owners working just feet from the cranes and construction fencing, the announcement marks another step toward a downtown that feels alive again. Hearman noted the construction surrounding his restaurant is already shaping the way he operates, with plans to extend his hours from closing at 6 p.m. to as late as 1 or 2 a.m. as more residents, office workers, and visitors are expected to move through the area.
“We’re all excited. I wish they could open up tomorrow so I can put my chef hat on,” Hearman said with a laugh. The restaurant owner has noticed momentum in the area shifting, particularly as the Pearl Square development takes shape around his establishment. Downtown Jacksonville business owners say change is finally reaching the long-quiet stretch of the Core Business District, with the latest development potentially bringing some of the biggest momentum yet to the area’s ongoing transformation.