Jaguars, city of Jacksonville agree to $1.4 billion stadium deal

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville have agreed to a $1.4 billion “stadium of the future” that would keep the franchise in one of the NFL’s smallest markets for another 30 years.

The proposal calls for each side to contribute $625 million to the $1.25 billion project. Jacksonville, which won’t levy any new taxes to pay for the rebuild, would chip in another $150 million to get EverBank Stadium ready for construction in 2026.

The plan was presented at a city council meeting Tuesday. Councilmembers are expected to vote on it in late June, with a simple majority of the 19 members needed to pass. It would then advance to the NFL owners meeting in October, where 24 of 32 votes would be needed for final approval.

Construction would begin following the 2025 season. The Jaguars would play in front of a reduced capacity in 2026 and host home games in either Gainesville or Orlando the following year. Daytona Beach International Speedway had been under consideration but has since been eliminated.

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The sides expect the revamped stadium to lead to more high-profile events such as U.S. soccer matches and concerts.

The 63,000-seat, open-air stadium includes a translucent covering that’s the equivalent of “wearing shades in the sun,” Lamping said. It’s expected to lower outside temperatures by 15 degrees.

The stadium plan also includes 140% more concourse space, 190 new points of sale, 16 new escaladers, 12 new elevators and 12 new restrooms.

The city and the Jaguars still hope to add substantial development to the surrounding area, which is expected to include a University of Florida satellite campus that would bring in 10,000 graduate students. Deegan called the surrounding area critical to the development of the downtown area.

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