The Jacksonville City Council has unanimously approved a $1.4 billion renovation plan for EverBank Stadium, the home of the Jaguars. The vote took place on Tuesday night with a 14-1 approval and two abstentions. The final step is to gain approval from at least 24 of the 32 NFL team owners during the upcoming league meetings in October. Jacksonville mayor Donna Deegan expressed her excitement, calling it a historic day for the city. She praised the cooperation and focus of everyone involved in achieving this goal.
The renovation project, known as the “Stadium of the Future,” will see Jacksonville investing $775 million, with $625 million allocated for the renovation and an additional $150 million for maintenance over the next two years to prepare for the construction. The Jaguars will match this with a $625 million commitment, and owner Shad Khan will be responsible for any cost overruns. A key aspect of the agreement is a 30-year lease that will keep the Jaguars in Jacksonville once the stadium re-opens. The team will only play one home game a year in London, with all other home games taking place at EverBank Stadium.
The construction is set to begin after the 2025 season and finish before the 2028 season. During the 2026 season, there will be reduced capacity due to unavailable upper deck seating, and the Jaguars will find a temporary home in 2027. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville or Camping World Stadium in Orlando are the two options for the team that year. The renovated stadium will feature a canopy over every seat, similar to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, to regulate temperatures. The seating capacity will be 63,000 for Jaguars games, but can be expanded to over 70,000 for special events like the Florida-Georgia football game and the Gator Bowl. Despite hosting Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005, EverBank Stadium has not hosted a Super Bowl since. –Field Level Media
