Bank of America Center (Norfolk, Virginia)


Icon Norfolk is one of the major distinctive and recognizable features of Downtown Norfolk, Virginia, United States. The building was the tallest in the state of Virginia from 1967 to 1971, when it was overtaken by Richmond City Hall. Today, it is the second-tallest building in City of Norfolk.
The tower was constructed in 1965-67 and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, one of Virginia's leading architectural firms of the period. It has a long history in banking. Built as the original headquarters for Virginia National Bank, 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, the building became the regional office for its namesake Bank of America in 1998.
In 2010, local reports were published of the building losing tenants, especially to newer office towers in Downtown Norfolk, such as the Wells Fargo Center. However, shipping company Maersk Line Limited retained its headquarters in the building.
In late 2015, plans were announced 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 will also entail redeveloping an adjacent office building at 2 Commercial Place.
In August 2016, Bank of America announced its intent to relocate its offices to the 999 Waterside Drive, the former Dominion Tower, a few blocks away. The tower has now been completely remodeled into Icon Norfolk apartments, and the address has been changed to 321 E. Main Street.