| Icon Norfolk | |
|---|---|
 Bank of America Center prior to conversion to luxury apartments | |
Interactive map of Icon Norfolk | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Residential |
| Location | 321 E. Main St.[1] Norfolk, Virginia 23510 |
| Coordinates | 36°50′35.5″N 76°17′16″W / 36.843194°N 76.28778°W / 36.843194; -76.28778 |
| Opening | 1967 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 315 ft (96 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 23 |
| Floor area | 340,000 sq ft (32,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
Virginia National Bank Headquarters Historic District | |
 | |
| Location | Bounded by Commercial Place, Waterside Dr., and E. Plume and Atlantic Sts., Norfolk, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 36°50′44″N 76°17′23″W / 36.84556°N 76.28972°W / 36.84556; -76.28972 |
| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| Built | 1965 (1965)-1967 |
| Architect | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
| Architectural style | Mid-Century Modern |
| NRHP reference No. | 16000535[2] |
| Added to NRHP | August 15, 2016 |
The Icon Norfolk (formerly Bank of America Center) is a building in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, United States, constructed in 1965–67 to a design by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. It is part of the Virginia National Bank Headquarters Historic District, which also includes an adjacent parking garage and public plaza, bounded by East Main and Atlantic Streets, Commercial Place, and Waterside Drive. The accompanying plaza and garage formed part of the design, and are a significant example of mid-20th century architecture and landscape design principles. Its construction marked the start of a revitalization and transformation of downtown Norfolk.[3] The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.[2]
History
The tower was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, one of the country's leading architectural firms, and constructed from 1965 to 1967. The building was the tallest in the state of Virginia from 1967 to 1971, when it was surpassed in height by Richmond City Hall.[4] Conceived as the headquarters for Virginia National Bank (VNB), the building retained headquarters status for Sovran Bank, formed from the merger of VNB and First & Merchants Bank of Richmond in 1983. After a series of mergers beginning in 1990 (including NationsBank), the building became the regional office for Bank of America in 1998, and was named after the bank.
In 2010, the building was losing tenants to newer office towers in Downtown Norfolk, including the Wells Fargo Center,[5] while the Maersk Line Limited shipping company retained its headquarters there.[6]
In late 2015, developers announced plans to convert the building to a 300-unit luxury apartment tower with ground-level retail. The building was renamed Icon Norfolk, part of a larger project known as CityWalk which would redeveloped an adjacent office building at 2 Commercial Place.[7] In August 2016, Bank of America announced its relocation to 999 Waterside Drive, the former Dominion Tower, several blocks away.[8] The building was renamed the Icon Norfolk,[7] and the address was modified to 321 E. Main Street.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Icon Norfolk apartments website". Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "NRHP nomination for Virginia National Bank Headquarters Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
- ^ "Bank of America Center, Norfolk, Virginia". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ "BoA building losing tenants". Inside Business. Archived from the original on November 27, 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
- ^ "Commercial Office Space". downtownnorfolk.org. Archived from the original on December 30, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
- ^ a b "Major Apartment Project Planned for Downtown Norfolk Tower". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
- ^ "Bank of America moving to Dominion Tower in downtown Norfolk". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
External links
- Icon Norfolk website
