JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the Jacksonville Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville begin negotiations involving the renovation of EverBank Stadium, the team has maintained that the massive task of building the “Stadium of the Future” will take at least two years.
But now it looks like the team is trying to put that preliminary construction schedule into overdrive.
Recommended Videos
In an interview published by Jaguars.com on Saturday, Jaguars President Mark Lamping said the team is trying to “see if there’s anything we can do to maybe go from playing away for two years to just one year.”
“We don’t have that solved yet,” Lamping told team reporter John Oehser. “But we’re going to continue to do everything we possibly can to still get the stadium done on time and have it be the least disruptive as possible as far as our games in Jacksonville are concerned.”
Under the current proposal for stadium renovations, work would begin in 2025 and would take the Jaguars away from Jacksonville for two seasons. There was also a plan on the table to keep the team playing at EverBank but if the team stayed, the renovations would take longer and cost a lot more money.
The Jaguars are considering Daytona International Speedway, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville and the Camping World Stadium in Orlando as possible options to host home games.
But right now the key question being hashed out between the team and the city is how much taxpayers will put toward the proposed $2 billion plan to renovate the stadium and create an adjacent entertainment district. The Jaguars are proposing a 50-50 split for the total project.
In an interview with the Florida Times-Union during the Jaguars’ recent trip to London, owner Shad Khan said he’s optimistic a deal to renovate the stadium will get done by mid-2024 and said he met with Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan during the game against the Atlanta Falcons.
MORE | Mayor: Most don’t want to spend public money on stadium upgrades, but most don’t want to lose Jags
“I think she’s doing a great job. She has really hired great professionals around her to represent the city. All these are great signs,” Khan said.