JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A tight city budget for next year in Jacksonville could be the final nail in the coffin for a major downtown project that never got off the ground.
The Shipyards project, which Jaguars owner Shad Khan unveiled early last year, was contingent on the city spending about $35 million to clean up underground contamination on the property along the St. Johns River. That number has since ballooned.
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Mayor Lenny Curry did not include the cleanup costs in his city budget for next year.
Khan came out with former Mayor Alvin Brown in early 2015 and revealed a rendering that included elaborate buildings and museums on the huge plot of land, wihch currently sits empty along the river near EverBank Field.
The development would have been a boon to nearby businesses, like Jacksonville Sports Tavern, a bar and restaurant that opens only about 100 days a year.
The bar's owner, Malcolm Marvin Jr., was disappointed to hear about the mayor's budget decision.
“I saw that on the news the other night. That’s bad news. I think that area could be like what Brooklyn has become on Riverside,” Marvin said. “Some housing down there would be nice. Anything like that would bring something down on this street. There’s nothing here now.”
City Council members said after a finance committee meeting this week that the city doesn't have the money to clean up the Shipyards, particularly with the battle over the city pension continuing.
“When you pay 27 percent of your budget, it really constrains what else you can do,” City Council President Lori Boyer said. “I think (Khan) is pretty astute and was pretty aware of where we were positioned when he decided to purchase the team and move to Jacksonville.”
The Jaguars said Wednesday that “the mayor made us aware of his plan, and we understand that pension reform is the mayor’s priority at this time. We are supportive of the mayor’s priorities.”