JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – While EverBank, a large employer in downtown Jacksonville, is in the planning stages for its headquarters’ future, the company said in a statement on Monday that no decisions have been made about any future locations.
News4JAX learned that the company was in talks to possibly move out of downtown less than a year after Citizens Property Insurance bailed on downtown for a building on the city’s Southside.
In the statement, the company said it was “committed” to keeping the corporate headquarters downtown.
EverBank is committed to keeping our corporate headquarters in downtown Jacksonville. Since the 1960s, our bank has been proud to be an essential part of the business and civic life of Jacksonville. For far more than a decade, we’ve anchored both ends of Bay Street, with our headquarters at The EverBank Center in the heart of downtown and our long-running sponsorship of EverBank Stadium, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Over the years, EverBank has put considerable energy and investment into downtown Jacksonville. We work and live in this city, and we’re fiercely committed to seeing Jacksonville succeed. Like many others, we’ve been discouraged watching other city downtowns, like Charlotte, flourish in recent years while businesses here have abandoned Jacksonville’s core.
EverBank is a dynamic nationwide company serving consumer and commercial clients from coast to coast, and we have many options about where we choose to build our business. We contribute considerably to the Jacksonville economy, and for decades we’ve been honored to serve and support community-based organizations dedicated to improving the lives of Jacksonville’s citizens. The economic and social vitality of this city is enormously important to us. We remain in downtown Jacksonville because we love and believe in our hometown.
In June 2025, EverBank entered into good-faith discussions with the City of Jacksonville and others about the future of the bank’s downtown headquarters. Since then, we’ve had constructive conversations with Mayor Deegan, the city council and Jacksonville business leaders. Those talks are ongoing and positive. We’re especially pleased that everyone is focused on one common goal: creating a vibrant and economically thriving downtown Jacksonville.
We’ve made no decisions yet about our future headquarters location in Jacksonville. One thing is certain: As we move ahead, we look forward to growing our company here and supporting the Jacksonville community.
Michael Cosgrove, EverBank Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications
The Special Committee on the Future of Downtown is considering offering EverBank $9.8 million over 10 years to remain downtown.
The possible incentive will be discussed at Monday’s meeting -- at the same time a major debate is brewing over whether the city should continue providing incentives at all for business to relocate or remain downtown.
According to our news partner the Jacksonville Daily Record, the emerging conversation at City Hall focuses on whether to reduce or even end financial incentives that are being used now to attract redevelopment in downtown Jacksonville.
The Record reports that District 7 councilmember Jimmy Peluso, who represents the Downtown Northbank, believes that ending incentives could squash the momentum the city has built with new projects being launched and completed in recent years.
But some of Peluso’s Council colleagues think the yearslong incentives program had led to solid traction for downtown development and is no longer needed.
“I would just encourage you — we’ve kickstarted downtown and it’s moving,” said City Council member Ron Salem, who represents the at-large Group 2 seat. “We’ve got to get developers out of the idea of completion grants. I’m not saying this year or next year, but as this project moves along, we need to communicate that we are going to get out of this business.”
In recent years, the city has approved several major incentive packages, including a $39 million completion grant for a Southbank residential tower, $25.8 million for the Shipyards project and Four Seasons Hotel, and $40 million through a community benefits agreement to fund Eastside neighborhood grants.
No final decisions were made during the meeting, but several council members emphasized the need for developers to begin planning for a future with fewer incentives.
For a full breakdown of the arguments for and against reducing public funding for downtown redevelopment, go to JaxDailyRecord.com.