JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In sports, not much beats a big moment in front of a home crowd.
Now, the Jacksonville Armada is looking to give its fans and the team a new home in the heart of the city.
The team will soon be moving away from Hodges Stadium at the University of North Florida and building something new downtown.
The Armada plans to build their stadium just north of the newly named VyStar Ballpark. Right now, it’s just vacant lots. But the plan is for it to have a soccer-specific stadium.
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The stadium’s first phase will cost about $11 million, according to our news partners at the Jacksonville Daily Record.
On Dec. 20, the team finalized a deal with the city of Jacksonville for the nearly 6 acres of land.
The cost? One dollar.
The team purchased the lots along Van Buren, Albert, Grant and Georgia streets and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard.
The deed filed with Duval County court established that the stadium will have at least 2,500 seats.
And it sets up several key deadlines.
It said construction should be done by September 2026.
In a statement, the mayor’s office with the city of Jacksonville said:
“Professional sports teams grow our local economy, contribute to our city pride, and bring our community together. With that in mind, the City of Jacksonville is excited to see the game of soccer grow here and proud to play a part in making the Armada’s new stadium happen. It will provide yet another experience that brings people downtown, and it’s one of many major development projects happening right now that will build a vibrant and thriving downtown.”
News4JAX reached out to the Jacksonville Armada for comment on the deal but did not immediately receive a response.
The deal also stated that construction should begin by the end of January.