Pro soccer returning to Jacksonville with Tim Tebow-backed USL franchise

[JaGoaT]

UNF FOOTBALL CONFIRMED

[JaGoaT]

But seriously, isn't there already a planned soccer stadium near Jags practice facility on APR Blvd?

Do we really need 2 soccer stadiums?

UNF FOOTBALL CONFIRMED

[copperfiend]

But seriously, isn't there already a planned soccer stadium near Jags practice facility on APR Blvd?

Do we really need 2 soccer stadiums?

Let's see one of them actually get built before we worry about that

[Todd_Parker]

So a town center next to a.....town center? What are the chances the two areas cannibalize each other's customer base?

As for the traffic, this area might be a more logical choice to run those U2C/Navi vehicles.

[Ken_FSU]

Assuming this happens - a massive assumption - the location could not possibly be any more perfect for what they're trying to do. Per the JBJ, the plans are to privately fund the stadium and development. I'm super curious to hear who they partner with for the sports & entertainment district aspect.

[thelakelander]

So a town center next to a.....town center? What are the chances the two areas cannibalize each other's customer base?

As for the traffic, this area might be a more logical choice to run those U2C/Navi vehicles.

LOL they would still be empty. There's simply no appeal for something that will still sit in congestion with everyone else. Especially for the choice rider, which is abundant on that side of town.

[jaxlongtimer]

Per the JBJ, the plans are to privately fund the stadium and development. I'm super curious to hear who they partner with for the sports & entertainment district aspect.

Sporting Jax ownership group building the stadium appears to be separate from the overall land developer per the Daily Record.  The land developer group is described below and looks to be very deep pockets.  Per property records, the seller appears to be the interests of George Hodges, Jr.  You can bet he held out for top dollar given his family probably held the land for generations and had no real carrying costs, by today's standards, that would pressure him into selling it.

...Sporting JAX's development project is backed by NFL Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, Tebow, Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy, former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles and Orlando-based Magnolia Hill Partners Family Office investments...

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2026/mar/02/sporting-jax-unveils-new-stadium-development-site-near-town-center/

[marcuscnelson]

So a town center next to a.....town center? What are the chances the two areas cannibalize each other's customer base?

As for the traffic, this area might be a more logical choice to run those U2C/Navi vehicles.

LOL they would still be empty. There's simply no appeal for something that will still sit in congestion with everyone else. Especially for the choice rider, which is abundant on that side of town.

Thought I'd take a moment to look at the current transit in this area.

Looks like two ~hourly bus routes, the 8A and 28, get the closest to the proposed site, from Town Center to San Jose and Downtown, respectively. Route 23, slightly further and also ~hourly, is nearby on Gate Pkwy while running between JU and the Avenues, with the possibility of connecting to the First Coast Flyer Blue Line there. Through some connections you might also be able to get to the First Coast Flyer Red Line which would then take you out the Beaches or Downtown. And of course, these three being local bus routes, you are likely going to be stuck in the same traffic as all the cars, while also dealing with all those stops. I'm not sure we have ridership numbers for specifically those routes, but I can't imagine many choice riders on any of them.

There's also a campus shuttle from UNF to Town Center.

I think the challenge in large part here is that this is presently a very suburban-styled area with a road layout very conducive to that, despite the amount of existing and planned density which then forces people onto a relatively small number of large roads. The way out of that really needs to mean choosing to invest in useful alternative ways for people to get around and within this area that aren't those same roads (or at least the same shared lanes on them), that are frequent and competitive with driving times, and completed on a timeframe that people feel inclined to at least try it occasionally if not use regularly. It should also, as part of this new development and in the longer run, mean modifying the road layout to support those alternative ways and not expecting every single person to drive themselves for every trip at all times.

NAVI (or something similar) might be useful for certain low-speed, first/last mile connections (alongside things like trails/wide sidewalks and rental scooters/bikes) from deeper within part of a development to a more central corridor (say, circulating within Town Center itself or within this stadium-anchored development), but there needs to actually be something substantial (with capacity) and rapid for a central corridor itself, whether that's to then connect major portions of this area or go to other major regional destinations (such as between Town Center and this stadium, or this stadium and UNF, or beyond).

[CityLife]

Regarding the two team thing. Sporting Jax are much better positioned to succeed than the Armada. Sporting Jax are in the second division and the Armada are in the third division. I posted the following in a separate thread about the Armada two years ago.

I'm not too optimistic about the Armada's prospects. Especially compared to Sporting Club Jacksonville. The MLS Next League they are joining is basically just the reserve teams for MLS clubs. There are only two clubs currently in the league that aren't feeder teams for existing MLS clubs. The primary function of the league is to provide competition for youth players as a test to see which players (if any) are ready to get called up to the MLS feeder teams. But by and large most players in the future in MLS will not even come up through the league. Like in Europe, maybe a few players on the senior teams will have come up through the reserve team.

MLS Next is the third division, while SC Jax will play in the second division in the USL. With the direction soccer is headed in the country, the second division (like in England, Germany, and other European countries) can become fairly competitive and popular. The average attendance in the USL in 2023 was 5,552. This is more than the Jumbo Shrimp drew last year and over 1k more than Minor League baseball averaged. MLS Next games are mostly scrimmages with like 100 people at games.

Basically, I would bet a lot of money that SC Jax will be the more successful of the two clubs.

[Charles Hunter]

To marcusnelson's point, if (or as) the USL stadium area develops, JTA could add, or redirect, bus service into the area.

Action News talked to some of the people who currently have undeveloped woods as their neighbors, but will have this development in their backyards.

Roger Carlson has lived in his Southside neighborhood for about 13 years. He said he did not know about the project until Action News Jax showed him the renderings.

"I didn't know anything about it," Carlson said.

"It's just nice and quiet and jungle," he said. "I really hate to see it disturbed. We've had all kinds of wildlife and everything there, and so I do hate to see it disturbed."

Sporting Jax said in a statement:

"Today's announcement marks the beginning of a transparent and inclusive planning process. Sporting JAX is committed to working closely with surrounding neighborhoods, community leaders, and local stakeholders every step of the way. This stadium is envisioned as a true civic asset — home to our men's and women's professional teams while also supporting high school championships, youth tournaments, concerts, and inclusive programming for adaptive and special-needs athletes. We are dedicated to listening to concerns and being a responsible, communicative neighbor as we build something the entire North Florida community can rally around for decades to come."

There is not yet an exact groundbreaking date, but the club says it hopes to begin construction as soon as possible.

[Charles Hunter]

Poking around the COJ GIS Property Map, and doing a little arithmetic...

Most of the area, identified as Big Island Swamp, is comprised of two large parcels owned by City National Bank of Florida Trustee. Together, they are nearly 309 acres. There are two undeveloped parcels along Alumni Way: Alumni Way Business Park (2.67 acres) and First Coast Properties Group III (2.79 acres). Together, they could provide a 5.5-acre entryway from the north.

Pablo Creek and its wetlands may restrict development along the eastern side and access from St. Johns Bluff Road.

If they acquire the two parcels on Alumni Way, they could have access from the north (Alumni Way), east (St. Johns Bluff Road), and southeast (Town Center Parkway). The southern boundary is a JEA powerline easement and various properties in the greater Town Center development. The western boundary, and much of the northern boundary is single-family homes along Daltry Way and Alumni Way, respectively. There is a 23-acre JEA substation in the southwest corner. Even with the potential Alumni Way access, all traffic will come from St. Johns Bluff Road and I-295 via Town Center Parkway. Not good.

[jaxlongtimer]

Regarding the two team thing. Sporting Jax are much better positioned to succeed than the Armada.

Would be interesting if Sporting Jax allowed the Armada to use its stadium rather than building their own.  Would likely make the Armada's financial outlook a bit better, but still, no guarantees.

NAVI (or something similar) might be useful for certain low-speed, first/last mile connections (alongside things like trails/wide sidewalks and rental scooters/bikes) from deeper within part of a development to a more central corridor (say, circulating within Town Center itself or within this stadium-anchored development), but there needs to actually be something substantial (with capacity) and rapid for a central corridor itself, whether that's to then connect major portions of this area or go to other major regional destinations (such as between Town Center and this stadium, or this stadium and UNF, or beyond).

I don't see NAVI competing with Uber, Lift, Waymo here than any better Downtown.  If anything, the younger population likely dominating this area is more attuned to the non-NAVI options than anything JTA puts up. 

I would agree that, like Downtown, this area could soon justify a circulating/loop bus between UNF, Town Center, Sporting Jax, and maybe the end of Baymeadows.  Not holding my breath since Downtown doesn't have a circulator after decades of neglect.  JTA would rather do "sexy" NON-mass transit NAVI and the Skyway than create true mass transit that is a lot more useful to the public.

[marcuscnelson]

NAVI (or something similar) might be useful for certain low-speed, first/last mile connections (alongside things like trails/wide sidewalks and rental scooters/bikes) from deeper within part of a development to a more central corridor (say, circulating within Town Center itself or within this stadium-anchored development), but there needs to actually be something substantial (with capacity) and rapid for a central corridor itself, whether that's to then connect major portions of this area or go to other major regional destinations (such as between Town Center and this stadium, or this stadium and UNF, or beyond).

I don't see NAVI competing with Uber, Lift, Waymo here than any better Downtown.  If anything, the younger population likely dominating this area is more attuned to the non-NAVI options than anything JTA puts up. 

I would agree that, like Downtown, this area could soon justify a circulating/loop bus between UNF, Town Center, Sporting Jax, and maybe the end of Baymeadows.  Not holding my breath since Downtown doesn't have a circulator after decades of neglect.  JTA would rather do "sexy" NON-mass transit NAVI and the Skyway than create true mass transit that is a lot more useful to the public.

NAVI as-is, absolutely not. It doesn't run frequently enough, and trying to force it to be the actual major transit system has been awful. What I'm talking about is specifically things like shuffling around the parking lots at Town Center, where there's already some (but not overwhelmingly so) traffic, or maybe doing the work the Osprey Connector currently does on UNF's campus. That kind of thing, frequently at all hours of the day & night, might have some promise with decent cost control and not the lavish spending on Beep and nonsense promises that JTA does now.

The challenge with a circulating bus to actually do the major transit system work is, as I mentioned earlier, that all these major roads are already going to be full of people driving around, especially once the stadium and Seven Pines are built out and UNF grows more, so being stuck in that same traffic is not going to be appealing to the people we need to be riding this. Maybe late at night when things are calmer but people still need to get home from bars and whatnot, but not during the day or especially rush hour. We need to figure out a way to make these connections that is not going to be severely impacted by existing and future road traffic.

[Ken_FSU]

NAVI (or something similar) might be useful for certain low-speed, first/last mile connections (alongside things like trails/wide sidewalks and rental scooters/bikes) from deeper within part of a development to a more central corridor (say, circulating within Town Center itself or within this stadium-anchored development), but there needs to actually be something substantial (with capacity) and rapid for a central corridor itself, whether that's to then connect major portions of this area or go to other major regional destinations (such as between Town Center and this stadium, or this stadium and UNF, or beyond).

I don't see NAVI competing with Uber, Lift, Waymo here than any better Downtown.  If anything, the younger population likely dominating this area is more attuned to the non-NAVI options than anything JTA puts up. 

I would agree that, like Downtown, this area could soon justify a circulating/loop bus between UNF, Town Center, Sporting Jax, and maybe the end of Baymeadows.  Not holding my breath since Downtown doesn't have a circulator after decades of neglect.  JTA would rather do "sexy" NON-mass transit NAVI and the Skyway than create true mass transit that is a lot more useful to the public.

NAVI as-is, absolutely not. It doesn't run frequently enough, and trying to force it to be the actual major transit system has been awful. What I'm talking about is specifically things like shuffling around the parking lots at Town Center, where there's already some (but not overwhelmingly so) traffic, or maybe doing the work the Osprey Connector currently does on UNF's campus. That kind of thing, frequently at all hours of the day & night, might have some promise with decent cost control and not the lavish spending on Beep and nonsense promises that JTA does now.

The challenge with a circulating bus to actually do the major transit system work is, as I mentioned earlier, that all these major roads are already going to be full of people driving around, especially once the stadium and Seven Pines are built out and UNF grows more, so being stuck in that same traffic is not going to be appealing to the people we need to be riding this. Maybe late at night when things are calmer but people still need to get home from bars and whatnot, but not during the day or especially rush hour. We need to figure out a way to make these connections that is not going to be severely impacted by existing and future road traffic.

When I work from home, sometimes I'll head down the street to UNF for a bit to work from the library if I get cabin fever. Without exaggeration, between the Osprey Connector and the campus shuttle loop, UNF probably has the most reliable transit in the city. Nothing fancy. Nothing that reinvents the wheel. Just a dependable, useful service with short headways for moving people around the area. Exact same system could be deployed in the urban core at $400 million less than NAVI, with room leftover for a starter streetcar line or rail transit between Jax & St. Augustine.

[jaxlongtimer]

NAVI (or something similar) might be useful for certain low-speed, first/last mile connections (alongside things like trails/wide sidewalks and rental scooters/bikes) from deeper within part of a development to a more central corridor (say, circulating within Town Center itself or within this stadium-anchored development), but there needs to actually be something substantial (with capacity) and rapid for a central corridor itself, whether that's to then connect major portions of this area or go to other major regional destinations (such as between Town Center and this stadium, or this stadium and UNF, or beyond).

I don't see NAVI competing with Uber, Lift, Waymo here than any better Downtown.  If anything, the younger population likely dominating this area is more attuned to the non-NAVI options than anything JTA puts up. 

I would agree that, like Downtown, this area could soon justify a circulating/loop bus between UNF, Town Center, Sporting Jax, and maybe the end of Baymeadows.  Not holding my breath since Downtown doesn't have a circulator after decades of neglect.  JTA would rather do "sexy" NON-mass transit NAVI and the Skyway than create true mass transit that is a lot more useful to the public.

NAVI as-is, absolutely not. It doesn't run frequently enough, and trying to force it to be the actual major transit system has been awful. What I'm talking about is specifically things like shuffling around the parking lots at Town Center, where there's already some (but not overwhelmingly so) traffic, or maybe doing the work the Osprey Connector currently does on UNF's campus. That kind of thing, frequently at all hours of the day & night, might have some promise with decent cost control and not the lavish spending on Beep and nonsense promises that JTA does now.

The challenge with a circulating bus to actually do the major transit system work is, as I mentioned earlier, that all these major roads are already going to be full of people driving around, especially once the stadium and Seven Pines are built out and UNF grows more, so being stuck in that same traffic is not going to be appealing to the people we need to be riding this. Maybe late at night when things are calmer but people still need to get home from bars and whatnot, but not during the day or especially rush hour. We need to figure out a way to make these connections that is not going to be severely impacted by existing and future road traffic.

A NAVI has to navigate the same traffic congestion as a bus... but it takes far less drivers off the road.  Multiple buses circulating frequently could possibly make a real dent in traffic, especially where it is vehicles just moving from one store/restaurant/hotel/apartment/office buildings in the Town Center area to another like location in the area.

At some point, someone needs to start building parking garages in that area as parking is often at a premium already.  If the garages where tied to mass transit routes, bingo, you have an even greater impact on traffic. 

Not expecting JTA to even think about such possibilities given their narrow and single minded approach to mass transit currently...  U2C or bust.  All else falls by the wayside.