Aetna Building

Description

The Aetna Building is a 309ft, 22-floor highrise building in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. It is also known as Prudential Plaza I or One Prudential Plaza, and formerly as the Prudential Building. It is named for Aetna, which has presence in the building.Completed in 1955, it was the tallest building in the city for 13 years until surpassed by the Riverplace Tower. It was "The Tallest Office Building in the South" and the tallest in Florida until NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building was completed in 1965.DetailsOriginally known as the Prudential Building, it was constructed in 1955 for Prudential Insurance, which had selected Jacksonville as its Southeastern headquarters. Construction materials included Alabama limestone, North Carolina pink granite and Georgia marble. The 13acre property is situated on the south/east bank of the St. Johns River and includes 1100ft of riverfrontage. A 2-ton piece of the Rock of Gibraltar, once in the lobby, is now found in the courtyard on the riverfront. The building was used as background in scenes from the film, Creature From the Black Lagoon.A sister building, Prudential Plaza II, was constructed next door in 1985. The Prudential Building underwent a major renovation in 1988.