The Jacksonville Jaguars ‘stadium of the future’ begins to become a reality.
In June of 2023, the Jacksonville Jaguars released mock-ups of a new stadium, coined the “stadium of the future.” Nearly a year later, the first moves have been made to turn the design into a reality. On Tuesday night, Jacksonville’s city council unanimously voted to commit $10 million to construction and engineering services, per News4JAX.
The new stadium has a price tag of $1.4 billion, making it the fifth-most expensive NFL stadium behind SoFi, Allegiant, MetLife, and Mercedes-Benz. It’s been a highly controversial project, as Jacksonville taxpayers are expected to pay half of the costs.
The Jaguars’ current home, EverBank Stadium, opened in 1995 in time for the team’s inaugural season. The project had a price tag of $121 million and has since been renovated three times, in 2004, 2006, and 2016.
An updated stadium is no simple task. To secure the franchise’s future in Northern Florida, the Jaguars are going all out. “The transformed stadium will be a shining beacon on the water, welcoming and dynamic, connecting our neighborhoods and the waterfronts and creating a new measurement for what the sports and entertainment experience can, and should be,” the franchise advertised in a ‘first look’ video.
The $10 million is significant, as it marks the first official agreement from the city of Jacksonville. According to Brianna Andrews of news4Jax, a timeline of the renovations is anticipated to go public in May.
With an official timeline determined, conversations will begin on where the Jaguars will relocate during construction. So far, Daytona, Gainesville, and London are the top contenders.
