JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a game day win Sunday, Jacksonville Jaguar fans are hoping construction for the “Stadium of the Future” can be completed in a year as opposed to the originally projected two-year timeframe.
Under the current proposal, work would begin in 2025 and would take the Jaguars away from Jacksonville for two seasons.
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Team President Mark Lamping said the team is trying to “see if there’s anything we can do to maybe go from playing away for two years to just one year” in an interview published by Jaguars.com.
“We don’t have that solved yet,” Lamping told team reporter John Oehser. “But we’re going to continue to do everything we possibly can to still get the stadium done on time and have it be the least disruptive as possible as far as our games in Jacksonville are concerned.”
Another plan was to keep the team at EverBank and work on the renovations during the off-season but the renovations would take longer and cost a lot more than the proposed $1.2 billion.
Some fans like Eric Wagner say it’s time for a new stadium.
“I have field seats so on the field it’s a lot hotter. The sun is beaming down on you the whole time but I still come every week. I still enjoy it. I love the stadium not but some upgrades and some better seats [are] long overdue,” he said.
The main question being discussed is how much taxpayers will put toward the final bill. The Jaguars are proposing a 50/50 split for the total project.
“I think it’d be a great opportunity for the city to showcase Jacksonville on a national stage. And if you build it, they will come kind of thing,” Jay Hurckers said.
The Jaguars are considering playing at Daytona International Speedway, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville and the Camping World Stadium in Orlando until the renovations are complete.