Developer Hosts Taste The Music at Aetna Building
The Aetna Building-South Shore Group recently welcomed about 450 to the 12th floor of the Jacksonville historical landmark for the 13th Annual Taste the Music.
Jacksonville, Fla. (PRWEB) October 9, 2005
The Aetna Building-South Shore Group recently welcomed about 450 people to the 12th floor of the Jacksonville historical landmark for the 13th Annual Taste the Music.
The gala evening was filled with music from the St. Johns River City Band to accompany the wine tasting celebration, food, prizes and silent auction benefiting the band.
"We were happy to host the event. The band represents the city and we think the Aetna Building is a significant part of Jacksonville history, so it was a perfect partnership," noted developer Hal Dodt, managing partner of the South Shore Group, owner of the Aetna Building.
"Our goal is to bring music and music education to the community through our series of concerts and educational programs. We have a dedicated group of musicians and volunteers working together to make this Taste the Music Celebration the best ever," said Mike Davis, executive director of the St. Johns River City Band.
The celebration is one of the band's major fun raising events and always provides a very entertaining evening with plenty of food, fun, prizes, wine tasting, the popular silent auction and of course music.
The mission of the St. Johns River City Band is to provide the City of Jacksonville and the State of Florida with ensembles that are educationally based and serve as the pinnacle of professional instrumental performance as an American art form while enriching the lives of an ever-increasing audience.
"Music enriches our lives and supporting the River City Band is a good way to ensure ongoing music education stays healthy, especially among our community's young people," Dodt said.
The Aetna Building still maintains its original character and sophistication with accents such as imported marble floors and columns, showcasing a classic 1950's-style grand lobby and entrance with distinctive Up/Down elevator indicators. Constructed of materials native to the area including 30,000 cubic feet of Alabama limestone and 3,420 cubic feet of North Carolina pink marble, builders also used a large quantity of Georgia marble.
Situated in a park like setting on 13 acres along the picturesque St. Johns River, the original building housed the former Flagship Bank, specialty clothing and retail shops and even the historic, original River Club on the 19th floor. The building underwent renovations four years ago that incorporated new interior design elements to mesh with the classic components found throughout.
One of the most well known original features was a ground floor auditorium that hosted many proms, graduations, political rallies and even school plays.
Towering 300 feet above the city, the building also once held bragging rights as "The Tallest Office Building in the South." The Aetna Building-South Shore Group continues to support numerous community activities by hosting charitable and civic events, such as Taste the Music.
For more information on the St. Johns River City Band call 355-4700. For more information on leasing opportunities with the Aetna Building-South Shore Group call Eric Ramirez at CB Richard Ellis, call (904) 633 2604.
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