City unveils Jaguars stadium plan

[marcuscnelson]

Pleased that the attempts to separate the CBA from the stadium were ultimately unsuccessful. Again, this deal isn't perfect, and at the end of the day it comes at real expense to taxpayers (even without new taxes) but it's something many wanted and hopefully it will benefit to keep the NFL in town. Now attention can turn to bigger issues like housing, transportation, healthcare, education, and other quality of life amenities.

[thelakelander]

The way I look at is that the CBA is about all these bigger issues. It won't resolve all our needs but it becomes another tool in the tool box. It's also not over. For example, the TIF concept is still out there and being debated.

[tufsu1]

 Hey - I have a genius idea - rename it TrEverBank Stadium

 

[Joey Mackey]

Excited to see actual improvements in that area. I'm speculating, but have to imagine, one of the first improvements will be repaving and generally beautifying APR Blvd, any idea when that would start?

[thelakelander]

The APR business district will be an Eastside priority. Based on what I know but not a liberty to say at the moment, if I had to guess, it will be a completely different and improved experience by the time the new stadium is completed.

[Ken_FSU]

Jags officially secured in Jacksonville through 2059.

Massive credit to:

Wayne Weaver, for committing to keeping the Jags in Jacksonville, even when they were averaging 45,000 a game during the 2008 recession and more lucrative markets were calling.

Shad Khan, for keeping the promise he made to Wayne Weaver when he bought the team, keeping the team here even when locals were unfairly calling him a carpetbagger with secret plans to move the team to London, and having the faith in Jacksonville to move forward with the construction of a $300 million office and Four Seasons development before a stadium agreement was even in place.

Mark Lamping, for having the foresight to get YEARS ahead of the stadium discussions, securing a deal before things got ugly with almost five years left to spare, and applying every single lesson learned from the Lot J fiasco forward when it came to transparency and public involvement.

Mayor Deegan, Mike Weinstein, and all the behind the scenes folks who helped push this across the finish line.

Say what you want about the on-field product - the NFL is great for Jacksonville, our stadium was due a makeover if we are to stay competitive as an event destination, and the NFL's approval of the agreement today is real milestone for the 904 and a giant screw you to all those nerds over the last 30 years who have said that Jacksonville isn't viable as an NFL market.

Real wild time capsule, this thread was:

https://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,6178.0.html

[Lostwave]

Very well said (as always) Ken.

[acme54321]

The APR business district will be an Eastside priority. Based on what I know but not a liberty to say at the moment, if I had to guess, it will be a completely different and improved experience by the time the new stadium is completed.

How amazing would it be to bury the arlington expressway between Hogan's Creek and the Gatorbowl Interchange?

[CityLife]

AP article says this:

The stadium will be the centerpiece of a downtown entertainment district in Jacksonville. A Four Seasons hotel and residences project is currently under construction as well as a new office building for the Jaguars, a shipyards project that will include a modern marina and eventually a University of Florida satellite campus that would bring in 10,000 graduate students to the area.

Wonder if we will hear an announcement on that now that the stadium deal is finalized.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nfl-owners-approve-jacksonvilles-1-203302407.html

[Zac T]

Interesting quote from Mark Lamping regarding the proposed entertainment district. Sounds like they're not married to a specific location. Wonder where else they have in mind?

An adjacent sports and entertainment development is on a back burner as Khan's Iguana Investments and the team finish the Four Seasons complex and the stadium. However, it's not forgotten.

"We think that at the sports complex is maybe the best location for it," Lamping said. "But those things need to happen in the right time, I can tell you, least, from my perspective, our plate is pretty full right now. But I have no doubt that Downtown Jacksonville will have a sports entertainment complex. It's just a question of where that is."

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2024/oct/15/stadium-deal-approved-shad-khan-mark-lamping-offer-insight-into-whats-next/

[thelakelander]

Perhaps the Fairgrounds site or something along the river adjacent to the Four Seasons complex. Whatever the site is, They seem to get the importance of clustering their investments together, so its likely still east of APR even if it isn't Lot J.

[Ken_FSU]

Very well said (as always) Ken.

Thanks dude!

AP article says this:

The stadium will be the centerpiece of a downtown entertainment district in Jacksonville. A Four Seasons hotel and residences project is currently under construction as well as a new office building for the Jaguars, a shipyards project that will include a modern marina and eventually a University of Florida satellite campus that would bring in 10,000 graduate students to the area.

Wonder if we will hear an announcement on that now that the stadium deal is finalized.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nfl-owners-approve-jacksonvilles-1-203302407.html

The last I heard (maybe two weeks ago), UF plans to make their announcement in November.

Genuinely don't have a clue where they've landed, I don't think a lot of people do, but I do get the vibe the indecision is holding a lot of things up.

Interesting quote from Mark Lamping regarding the proposed entertainment district. Sounds like they're not married to a specific location. Wonder where else they have in mind?

An adjacent sports and entertainment development is on a back burner as Khan's Iguana Investments and the team finish the Four Seasons complex and the stadium. However, it's not forgotten.

"We think that at the sports complex is maybe the best location for it," Lamping said. "But those things need to happen in the right time, I can tell you, least, from my perspective, our plate is pretty full right now. But I have no doubt that Downtown Jacksonville will have a sports entertainment complex. It's just a question of where that is."

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2024/oct/15/stadium-deal-approved-shad-khan-mark-lamping-offer-insight-into-whats-next/

If UF doesn't go with the Jags, I wonder if the Fairgrounds might make sense for the Sports & Entertainment complex. Another option could be that 4.5 acre parcel West of the Four Seasons/Office Development. The Jags - per their lease agreement with the City - have committed to $100 million in private development at that site by 2032 (which sounds like is earmarked for medical or residential mixed use). I like Lot J more than both logistically, but you've got to wonder if the Jags and/or city are starting to have an oh shit moment about parking. There's not enough parking for the Four Seasons and Jags office tower, and the city doesn't seem it's going to be in a financial position in the short-term to sink $100 million+ into structured parking to accommodate sports complex development. Might not make the most sense to remove all those parking spots at the moment.

Removed from the Sports Complex area, I wonder if the jail site could make sense for the Sports & Entertainment complex, assuming the jail relocation happens. Might be too far from their other investments, but they were at one point considering partnering on a convention center pretty far West of the stadium. The timelines would kind of match up, and short of selling JEA, I'm not sure where we'd got ANOTHER billion on top of the stadium, jail relocation, and pension debt to actually build a shiny new convention center at that site. Probably makes more sense to stop gap with expanded exposition & convention space at the Hyatt, as Ennis has written about over the years.

To me, Ford on Bay would be the most intriguing site for a Jacksonville Live! like Sports & Entertainment complex, as it's kind of in the perfect central location to a) serve the CBD during the daytime during the week and on non-event nights, as the sports complex is too far of a trek, b) serve the sports complex during events, as well as the Florida Theater and Times-Union Center, which are all within six blocks max, c) act as that missing food hall element for Shipyards West, MOSH & Riverfront Plaza on either side of it, d) provide a missing entertainment element for expanded Hyatt Convention Space, e) complement one or two additional, not-yet-announced projects in the vicinity, f) pump some much needed life into the northbank. Of all the available spots, it's the most shovel-ready, centrally located, and scenic in terms of river views. You couldn't quite have the scale in terms of sheer acreage of options like Lot J, but you could also create some sick synergy with Bay Street/The Elbow directly across the street. It's the furthest from the stadium, but also feels like the site that would generate the most local revenue for the Jags 365-days a year.

[jaxlongtimer]

^ I think they should maybe consider working with the Pearl Street development given that will be a source of mojo (to use Kahn's terminology) if it gets ultimately completed as planned.  Given how much land they have accumulated with their desire to maybe add more adjacent properties, working with Kahn might be a win for both parties.  Such a district in the heart of Downtown would be a big boost.  Being back from the river could be an advantage considering resiliency issues.  And, Beaver Street and Union/State would provide direct connectivity to both I-95 and the Arlington Expressway for easy access from the burbs and greater region.

[Lostwave]

Its too bad Maxwell House is there.  Its kind of right where a sports and entertainment district should be.
Ford at the bay and jail and old courthouse sites could be some great mixed use res/hotel/retail district...  it would tie it all together.  But Maxwell House is a huge dead zone.

[jcjohnpaint]

If the jail has to move, put a convention center there. Just be done with it. I would rather it go next to the Hyatt, but I think that conversation is going nowhere.