Where Jacksonville Scores: The Sports Complexes

[Metro Jacksonville]

Where Jacksonville Scores: The Sports Complexes





Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-nov-where-jacksonville-scores-the-sports-complexes

[FSBA]

Good stuff. The picture showing the Gator Bowl, Coliseum, and Wolfson Park really hit home how much the area has been transformed. That picture is ~25 years old and close to 90% of the building pictures have been razed.

[Jason]

^ I was thinking the same thing.

Very nice article, too!

[mbwright]

There was also the Jacksonville Barracudas hockey for a while at the arena from 2002-07.   The managing company said it was too much trouble to maintain ice, and do floor changes for other events, among other reasons.  There was a pretty dedicated but small fan base.

[pierre]

There was also the Jacksonville Barracudas hockey for a while at the arena from 2002-07.   The managing company said it was too much trouble to maintain ice, and do floor changes for other events, among other reasons.  There was a pretty dedicated but small fan base.

The Barracudas games were fun. Not great attendance but it was pretty low level minor league. The Lizard Kings appeared to do well but even they lost millions and eventually moved.

[CCMjax]

Good stuff. The picture showing the Gator Bowl, Coliseum, and Wolfson Park really hit home how much the area has been transformed. That picture is ~25 years old and close to 90% of the building pictures have been razed.

Did they demo the gator bowl or just add the upper decks when the Jags came to town?  I don't know I didn't live here then.  It looks like the lower bowl is the same?

[copperfiend]

This is what was kept

[krazeeboi]

The location of Jacksonville's sports venues, not too far outside the CBD, is very akin to the South Philadelphia Sports Complex:

[FSBA]

This is what was kept

Actually I think that is showing some of the new construction as well. I believe the only part of the original Gator Bowl was the upper deck that had been built in the mid-80s. The east side of the stadium was completely demoed within weeks of the 93 Gator Bowl.

[tufsu1]

The location of Jacksonville's sports venues, not too far outside the CBD, is very akin to the South Philadelphia Sports Complex:

except for the part where the Jax. sports complex is about 1 mile from the CBD...while the Philly example is 3-4 miles from the CBD

[Keith-N-Jax]

Hard to tell from that pic, but looks even further than 3 to 4 miles

[JaxJersey-licious]

Hard to tell from that pic, but looks even further than 3 to 4 miles

No, the Link is about 4 miles from Center City. Imagine if the old Gator Bowl was 4 miles further away from downtown and in 1993 the new owner of the Jax NFL franchise ordered the city to build a new stadium, what would be the ideal location at the time? Or how about now? 

[I-10east]

Eh, the infrastructure is already there. Why build the stadium more miles away from the sports complex? 

[CCMjax]

I think the current location is the best location for the stadium, especially with the arena and baseball stadium right there as well.  I have walked from downtown to the stadiums and it's not that bad.  It has it's own district but yet close enough to DT to feel connected.  I think it's one thing the city of Jacksonville actually got right.

[FSBA]

Hard to tell from that pic, but looks even further than 3 to 4 miles

No, the Link is about 4 miles from Center City. Imagine if the old Gator Bowl was 4 miles further away from downtown and in 1993 the new owner of the Jax NFL franchise ordered the city to build a new stadium, what would be the ideal location at the time? Or how about now?

Give it 10 years or so, I won't be shocked if Kahn demands a stadium be built somewhere off 95 & 295 on the Duval/St. Johns county line.