Tag: Football performance facility

Jacksonville City Council approves Jaguars football performance facility deal

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ plan for their football performance facility was approved by the Jacksonville City Council, and the city will split the cost with the team 50/50.

In an expected but significant decision, the Jacksonville City Council unanimously approved a deal to split the cost of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ new downtown sports performance center. The project is called 1st DownTown, and it’s projected to cost $120 million to construct.

With the plan’s approval, the city and the team will split that cost 50-50. The city will own the facility and lease it to the team on an initial 30-year deal with two 10-year extension options.

After the previous attempt at downtown development, the Lot J project, failed at the city council level, this one moved through the process with relative ease. Once built, the facility will include office space, training rooms and indoor and outdoor practice fields with bleachers.

The 1st DownTown project isn’t the only attempt at developing the downtown area Jags owner Shad Khan is currently undertaking. He has long wanted to revitalize the shipyards district near the stadium, and that project received approval by the Downtown Investment Authority in July. According to First Coast News, full details of the plan are expected to be brought before the city council in September.

City Council Finance Committee approves Jaguars practice facility

The Jaguars’ football performance facility received approval from the City Council Finance Committee, and it will go to a vote before the full Council next week.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ new $120 million performance facility took another step toward approval on Tuesday, as the City Council Finance Committee voted 7-0 to approve the plan to split the costs for the facility 50-50 between the team and city. According to Dave Bauerlein of the Florida Times-Union, deliberations lasted just 18 minutes.

The Rules Committee takes up the legislation on Tuesday afternoon, and the final hurdle for the project will take place next Tuesday when the full council votes for approval.

The facility, which will feature indoor and outdoor practice fields among other amenities, carries a 30-year lease, which City Council member Michael Boylen said indicates that the team is interested in staying in Jacksonville for the long haul.

“I think it’s pretty evident here when you’re looking at a 30-year commitment and a $60 million commitment by the Jaguars for this new facility, it can give all of us a great deal of comfort the Jaguars are going to be home in Jacksonville for years to go,” Boylan told Bauerlein.

After the failure of the Lot J project earlier this year, Jags owner Shad Khan has found a much more amiable position from the city government this time around. Though the new project requires final approval, it seems like a formality at this point given how easily the bill moved through the finance committee.

Jaguars receive approval for $120 million practice facility design concept

The city of Jacksonville approved the concept design for the football performance facility, clearing yet another hurdle toward its full approval.

The Jaguars’ projected $120 million performance facility cleared a major hurdle on Thursday, as the Downtown Development Review Board approved the design concept, per the Jacksonville Daily Record. This approval is preliminary, and another approval for a more thorough design is also required.

Approval from the DDRB was considered a formality, as a report issued by the DDRB staff before the vote recommended approval. However, there were some issues the staff took with the original design, reportedly referring to it as an “airplane hangar.” To help combat this, the building will feature a mural that wraps around three sides of the building, with the fourth side being a green wall covered with live plants.

Solar panels will also be installed on the roof, and designers will apply for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Jacksonville City Council is currently considering legislation that would split the cost of the facility between the team and the city, with the city responsible for no more than $60 million of the cost. Any extra costs will be covered by the team, and if the project comes in under budget, the city and team will split the savings. The city would own the facility and lease it to the team.

It seems that owner Shad Khan has finally gotten the cooperation from the city he’s been looking for when it comes to development, and though there are several more hurdles to clear, things are currently progressing as planned for the facility.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry files bill to split cost of Jaguars practice facility

Curry’s bill would divide the cost of the $120 million football performance facility between the team and the city.

It seems that the new Jacksonville Jaguars performance facility will be partially funded by the city, as Mayor Lenny Curry has filed a bill that would split the cost of the projected $120 million facility with the City of Jacksonville. According to the Jacksonville Daily Record’s Mike Mendenhall, the city’s contribution will cap at $60 million with the Jaguars being responsible for any cost overruns.

The bill, which requires approval from the City Council and is expected to be introduced on Tuesday, would commit $36 million in spending for the 2021-22 fiscal year with the final $24 million to be spent the following year.

Jags owner Shad Khan first introduced his plan for the facility, as well as a Four Seasons hotel and a renovated children’s park, on June 3. The football facility will include an equipment room, weight training, and medical facilities, two outdoor grass fields with around 2,300 bleacher seats, a team store, and concessions facilities.

A prospective second phase of the project would reportedly also bring an orthopedic sports medicine practice affiliated with Baptist Health. In total, Khan’s downtown development plans are projected to cost $441 million.

If the bill passes, the Jaguars would commit to an initial 30-year lease for the performance facility property with two 10-year extension options. The team is also required to pay for maintenance and repairs.

After the failure of the “Lot J” development at the Council level, this agreement is expected to pass. However, it still requires a vote, and according to Mendenhall, that may not happen until possibly early September. Still, it seems that Khan finally has the deal with the city for development that he’s been after for years.