JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The stadium renovations and the new contract between the city and the Jaguars are expected to be very complicated endeavors.
Upcoming negotiations will determine who will pay the estimated $2 billion that has been proposed for the stadium renovations along with the development around it.
But the plans revealed by the team last week are just a start and nothing has been decided. It will take talks with the new mayor and eventually the city council to get final approval.
So for now, the renderings are just a wish from the team and soon after mayor-elect Donna Deegan takes office in July is when the real work begins.
Deegan has said since she was on the campaign trail that she wants to hire someone from the outside to help negotiate the deal with the Jaguars. She said she wants a trained professional to look at the deal to make sure it works for the taxpayer. In doing so, her advisor said that could cost the city about $2 million.
Despite that high price tag, some of those News4JAX talked to about that at a Jaguars community meeting about the renovations on Monday said they don’t see a problem with it.
“It’s a wise decision because, you know, if she wants first-hand experience, a development that large, I think it’s wise to spend that much,” Jaguars fan Albert Lawrence said.
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In a statement, Deegan told News4JAX: “During the campaign I pledged to bring in the best negotiators, those experienced at deals of this nature with the NFL. That’s what the line item was intended to cover.”
The number being thrown around by many for the stadium deal is $2 billion, but it’s a little more nuanced than that.
For just the stadium renovations, the price tag is around $1.4 billion. According to early negotiations with the city, the Jaguars are looking for taxpayers to pick up close to $800 million and the Jaguars would pay for about $600 million. But when you add in the Lot J plan, an estimated $600 million project which would be known as the sports district, that is where the $2 billion total price comes in. and that total price tag would be split 50-50 between the city and Jaguars.
On Monday, News4JAX talked to some who will be in on those talks like Paul Harden. Harden lobbies the city and state leaders for the Jaguars. Harden said he had no problem with the city hiring an outside attorney. He said it just makes sense.
Mark Lamping, Jaguars president, will also be in on those talks and News4JAX asked him how difficult it is to plan all of this under two mayors since current mayor Lenny Cury is leaving and Deegan is coming in.
“The Jaguars have been here through multiple mayors. And it’s our desire that we’ll be here through multiple more administrations. So, no, I think when you have two parties whose interests are aligned, and our interests are aligned, Jacksonville is really important to the Jaguars. And the Jaguars are really important to Jacksonville. If you start with that alignment, you know, I think we have every opportunity to get something done,” Lamping said.
Deegan was not at the public meeting with the Jaguars on Monday but her staff said she does plan to attend some in the near future in order to get the public input on what they want to see.