JACKSONVILLE, FL –April 1, 2015 –Crocker Partners has launched an $8 million “extreme makeover” of the 752,000-square foot Prominence office park at Baymeadows Road and Interstate 95. As the improvement program gets underway, the company announced that Prominence will be home to the North America corporate headquarters of NGA Human Resources, a leading provider of payroll and HR services and software, leasing 70,000 square feet to occupy by March, 2016.

The new office will accommodate NGA Human Resources’ expanding workforce, with 450 employees initially relocating from the company’s current Jacksonville offices. Jesse Shimp, JLL vice president, represented Prominence office park on behalf of Crocker Partners in the transaction and JLL vice president Kaycee Gardner represented NGA Human Resources, which will occupy about two and a half floors in the 400 Building.

“We’re investing for the long-term to realize Prominence’s full potential as one of Jacksonville’s premier office parks. Securing NGA’s commitment validates that position,” said Crocker Partners Vice President Josh Edwards. “Prominence offers some of the best located and largest contiguous space available in one of Jacksonville’s most sought-after submarkets. As the park rebranding and improvements take shape,companies are recognizing that Prominence is an ideal place to build their future. We’re finalizing a full floor lease for Building 500, and actively working with prospective tenants for the entire 160,000- square foot Building 200.”

Edwards said the capital improvements include a dramatic new main park entry with monument signage and extensive landscaping, set to begin in April for completion in 4-6 months. Meanwhile, work is nearing completion on modernizing Building 100, the first of three office buildings slated for exterior and common area renovations. Work on Building 400, new home to NGA, will get underway in May, coinciding with the tenant improvements, followed by Building 500.

Crocker Partners acquired the 54-acre office park, formerly known as Freedom Park of Commerce, in 2013. Centrally located in the Butler/Baymeadows submarket within a 10-minute drive to the St. John Town Center, and with visibility from I-95, the park includes 7 buildings ranging in size from 21,000 to 160,000 square feet.

“Crocker Partners’ multi-million dollar commitment to improving and upgrading the facility is a major draw for companies looking for large amounts of Class A office space surrounded by park-like settings with running trails and plenty of greenery,” said Shimp. “With demand increasing for quality space, Prominence office park is well positioned to draw corporate users looking to relocate to Jacksonville.”

“Our JLL team worked closely with NGA Human Resources to find a sophisticated facility that would permit the company’s expansion at favorable leasing rates,” said Gardner. “With the market tightening and scarcity of large amounts of contiguous space increasing, the lease transaction couldn’t have come at a better time for NGA Human Resources.”

According to JLL’s Q4 2014 market research, the suburban submarkets continue to lead the way in Jacksonville despite the national move of companies to urban locations. In fact, vacancy rates in Jacksonville’s suburban submarkets have declined by 190 basis points over the past year, due to 262,337 square feet of positive absorption.

Since 2012, Crocker Partners has invested more than $160 million in the Jacksonville area, acquiring and managing properties totaling more than 2 million square feet. In addition to Prominence, Crocker Partners owns a dozen office and industrial buildings at Flagler Center, and is eyeing continued expansion and development opportunities in the market. Overall, Crocker Partners’ portfolio, valued at nearly $2 billion, encompasses 8 million square feet in Florida, Georgia and Texas. In addition Jacksonville, Crocker Partners is the dominant Class A office owner in Miami and Boca Raton, and owns top-tier office buildings in West Palm Beach, Tampa, and Atlanta.