The JAX Chamber is supporting the renovation of EverBank Stadium into "the Stadium of the Future." City of Jacksonville
Published on May 17, 2024 at 2:54 pm
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The JAX Chamber plans to lobby City Council members to accept the $1.4 billion renovation agreement for EverBank Stadium, which the chamber calls “an incredibly important deal for the future of our city.”
The chamber board voted unanimously Friday to support the proposed “Stadium of the Future” agreement.
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“A deal to keep the Jaguars here for at least another 30 years and a state-of-the-art stadium for the team and other major events are huge wins,” chamber President and CEO Daniel Davis said in a news release.
The stadium plans include a large shady canopy to reduce temperatures in the stadium, one of fans’ leading complaints. Plans also provide for larger concourses, lookout decks offering citywide views, more elevators and escalators, and expanded food and beverage sales.
Under the agreement, the city and Jaguars would evenly split the $1.25 billion renovation cost. The city also would pay $150 million for deferred capital and maintenance to make the renovation possible. The total cost would be split 55%-45% between the city and the team.
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The JAX Chamber pointed out that the city’s share is lower than recent stadium deals in Buffalo and Nashville.
“We have to invest in the Jaguars and the stadium — that’s part of the deal of being an NFL city, and we understand that,” Davis said.
The chamber also supports a “community benefits” portion of the deal, which would pump money into the community to address workforce development, affordable housing and homelessness on the Eastside. The city and team each would contribute $150 million each to that effort.
“The Community Benefit Agreement is also a huge part of this deal, and we will see significant benefits from these investments.” Davis said. “We will be active in speaking with the City Council on the importance of this proposal and urge them to approve the agreement.”
City Council plans a series of meetings to consider the deal, with a vote still weeks away. Three more community meetings also are planned to solicit public reaction:
- May 20: Fletcher High School, 700 Seagate Ave., Neptune Beach, 6-7:30 p.m.
- May 29: Sandalwood High School, 2750 John Promenade Blvd., Jacksonville, 6-7:30 p.m.
- May 30: Westside High School, 5530 Firestone Road, Jacksonville, 6-7:30 p.m.
The support from the JAX Chamber came the day after the Northside Coalition activist group vowed to oppose the stadium project “unless another billion dollars is invested in Northwest Jacksonville and other neglected parts of the city.”
In a news release, Northside Coalition President Kelly Frazier said it was time for the city to invest in Northwest Jacksonville and other neglected parts of the city.
Randy comes to Jacksonville from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, where as metro editor, he led investigative coverage of the Parkland school shooting that won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for public service. He has spent more than 40 years in reporting and editing positions in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio and Florida.
