JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars’ “Stadium of the Future” took a big step forward Tuesday night when the Jacksonville City Council voted in favor of a plan to spend $10 million to get started on the stadium’s construction design and engineering services.
While $10 million is a drop in the bucket considering the cost of the project is an estimated $1.4 billion, this is the first official agreement from the city, which is a significant step.
The plans for the stadium’s renovations include a fixed roof membrane that protects the seating areas, a mirrored surface, and a wraparound concourse to overlook the St. Johns River.
Mike Weinstein, the chief negotiator for the City of Jacksonville said the city council approval was the hurdle they had to clear.
“[The Jaguars] have been doing a lot of the design work on their own with a company. As we move forward in the partnership, we’re going to start paying for some of the design work as well and the $10 million that was authorized last night,” Weinstein said.
He said the city will hire its own construction company to verify and confirm the details of the renovation that were relayed to them from the Jaguars. Weinstein added that the $10 million that was approved was part of $20 million that’s already been approved for the project.
When the plans were first shared, the team requested the city pay for the renovations and the surrounding entertainment district. News4JAX news partner the Jacksonville Daily Record reported that the district is no longer part of the negotiations. Weinstein said including that money could have led to delays.
“It really would add a tremendous complication to an already very complicated process. And that property is embedded in what’s called a CRA community redevelopment area and the Downtown Investment Authority has responsibility for that area,” Weinstein said.
He added that the city will start focusing on the entertainment district, which includes parking, hotels and restaurants after the stadium deal is finalized. He anticipates city councilmembers to be presented with plans for the stadium in May.
“We could be in front of council with about four or 500 pages of about seven different agreements. It’s not just the lease. It’s a parking agreement. It’s a security agreement. It’s a community benefit agreement. There are lots of things that will be part of this package,” Weinstein said.
A couple of weeks ago, the city’s lead negotiator said the plan is to present a tentative agreement by early May.
Mayor Donna Deegan says public meetings will be scheduled as the negotiations remain ongoing.
The goal is to have the Jaguars play their first home game in the renovated stadium in August 2028. Jaguars owner Shad Khan and the city will likely split the cost of the $1.4 billion stadium, but how much each will pay is still a key part of negotiations.