TIAA Bank Field, the home facility of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is being considered as a potential venue for the Republican National Convention in August, according to the Washington Post. This report comes as several local clergy members and healthcare professionals on the First Coast have shared their concerns about plans to host the convention, originally planned for VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, in recent days. According to the Washington Post report, officials are now weighing options for an outdoor venue.
Officials who are planning the event have also looked at nearby 121 Financial Ballpark where Jacksonville’s minor league baseball team, the Jumbo Shrimp, play. The venue is one that can hold 11,000 people, while TIAA Bank Field has a capacity of 64,000. VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena has a capacity of 15,000.
TIAA Bank Field is owned by the Jacksonville City Council despite being the Jags’ home facility. As such, the team won’t have a say in the decision, which is expected to be made in the coming days.
With COVID-19 still present in the U.S. and with the state of Florida seeing a recent surge in cases, considerations for an outdoor event seem aimed at mitigating the risk of spreading the virus, which to date has infected 3.17 million people nationwide and roughly 233,000 people statewide.