JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, Jaguars President Mark Lamping and the city’s lead negotiator, Mike Weinstein, announced Tuesday night that the city and the team have a plan for a 50-50 split of the $1.25 billion “Stadium of the Future” renovation project.
The city also agreed to pay $150 million, if a new deal is signed, for maintenance and upkeep, bringing Jacksonville’s total investment to $775 million.
Now, it’s time for the community to weigh in. The team and the city are hosting a community meeting Thursday night at Mandarin High School -- the first of five across the city in the coming weeks.
The “Stadium of the Future Community Huddles” are free and open to the public, with no registration required.
Here is the schedule:
- Mandarin High School, May 15, 6-7:30 p.m.
- Legends Center, May 16, 6-7:30 p.m.
- Fletcher High School, May 20, 6-7:30 p.m.
- Sandalwood High School, May 29, 6-7:30 p.m.
- Westside High School, May 30, 6-7:30 p.m.
RELATED: How do you feel about the proposed 50-50 split between city, Jags for the ‘Stadium of the Future’?
According to Deegan, Lamping and Weinstein, who presented the deal to the City Council on Tuesday, the city’s $625 million portion will be factored into the annual budget across the next four years and won’t include a tax increase for residents.
During the City Council meeting, the trio laid out numbers, a timeline, what taxpayers will be on the hook for and the two stadiums where the Jaguars could play during the renovation season, which would come in 2027.
Almost all of the city’s investment will come from stretching the Better Jacksonville Plan out until 2030 and using those funds to help fund the renovation. The Better Jacksonville Plan was a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2000, a $2.25 billion program set to improve things like roads, infrastructure, development and public facilities.
At the earliest, the council is expected to vote on the stadium deal on June 25, after the community has provided feedback at the “huddles.”