JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Special Committee on the Future of Downtown today learned about the city’s incentive package designed to keep EverBank and hundreds of its employees downtown.
Action News Jax Investigates first told you last week that the bank was considering not renewing its lease at the EverBank Center due to security and parking concerns.
“If they chose to leave downtown, I do feel like it would be a significant setback,” said Colin Tarbert, Chief Executive Officer of the Downtown Investment Authority.
The city is offering to pay EverBank $980,000 dollars every year for the next 10 years just to keep the bank and the roughly 800 employees who work there in downtown.
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That’s roughly 10 million dollars total.
Part of the deal also includes EverBank maintaining a certain number of employees in its downtown offices, as well as a commitment from the company and the landlord of the EverBank Center to spend a certain amount of money on the building and on improvements.
Councilman Matt Carlucci agreed with the proposal but wanted to know what the return on the investment looked like.
“I think we have to do it,” said the Councilman. “I think if we don’t do it the timing would be awful.”
Council Vice President Nick Howland pushed back
“For so many reasons, I can’t support using taxpayer dollars to keep EverBank from moving out of one part of Jacksonville to another,” said Councilman Howland.
Last year, Citizens Insurance announced it would be leaving EverBank Center downtown because the state-run insurance firm said the homeless were harassing its employees.
Action News Jax also obtained internal documents detailing 41 employee safety complaints dating back to 2023.
But EverBank’s attorney clarified during the meeting the security concerns being raised by the bank.
The security issue is that it’s more expensive to secure the space downtown than it is in the suburbs,” said attorney Steve Diebenow.
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EverBank sent us a statement after today’s meeting - you can read it below:
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.
Ultimately, the City Council will have to sign off on any incentive deal.
The proposal is scheduled to go before the Downtown Investment Authority on February 18th.
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