JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As people across Jacksonville learn more about the new stadium deal, downtown development is also getting a lot of attention.
Beyond EverBank Stadium upgrades, Jaguars owner Shad Khan is also investing in other projects.
A Four Seasons hotel has been in the works, but Khan is planning to add more to the area that stretches down Bay Street to the Shipyards.
The Four Seasons hotel is expected to have 170 rooms, private residences and a rooftop restaurant.
According to our news partners at the Jacksonville Daily Record, the city is reviewing plans for a component of development at the Shipyards. Khan wants to build a marina, and Khan’s development company, Iguana Investments Florida, filed that project for review Wednesday.
Blueprints show buildings, an event lawn, riverwalk and restaurants that would all be next to the hotel.
The Record says the city issued a permit a week ago for Khan to build a 6-story office building next to the hotel. It is costing the Jaguars owner close to $40 million.
Projects like these are necessary to develop downtown, residents said.
“Downtown is lacking a lot of things,” said Samuel Clermont. “The [former] Landing was the big thing that I used to go to when I was younger. There’s nothing there anymore. We definitely need those things down there as well. The hotels, places to go and places to hang out.”
All of those plans are coupled with the possibility of EverBank Stadium being renovated to transform into what is being called the “Stadium of the Future.”
The Jaguars and the city announced earlier this week that they have agreed to a deal and released details of the plan, which still needs to get approval from the city council, which could come as soon as June. It would also need a final nod from NFL owners, which could happen when they meet in October.
If the deal is ultimately approved, construction could start in February 2025.
Jags president Mark Lamping says there is a reason why Khan is making these kinds of investments.
“[Khan] sees the momentum of the city and he believes in the people,” Lamping said. “He owns the football team, and he wants the best possible thing for the city. This is not just the benevolence of a person. Shad understands that as downtown Jacksonville goes, if downtown Jacksonville is successful, that is going to have a positive impact on the success of the Jaguars.”
If everything goes as planned, the Four Seasons could open in 2026.