JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sporting Club Jacksonville, United Soccer League’s Northeast Florida expansion franchise, took a “major step forward” on Monday, announcing the new home for a “world-class, mixed-use” stadium.
The sporting club will make the Town Center area its new location to host soccer matches and beyond.
The vision for the stadium is to create a walkable area with dining, hospitality and entertainment options that extend beyond match days.
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“It will be a true urban sporting district, anchored by a community-centered stadium,” Sporting JAX chairman Ricky Caplin said.
The stadium would also host high school championships, youth tournaments and mentorships programs.
The sports club recently announced executive Michael McNaughton as President of the Sporting JAX Development Company to lead all real estate, master-planning, and development tied to the club’s long-term vision.
“What we’re about to announce today is something transformational for Jacksonville, a world-class project with world-class architecture that ultimately is more than a real estate project or a community building destination,” McNaughton said.
The announcement did not include a construction timeline or an exact address of where the facility would be housed.
At one point, the former Sears site at the Regency Square Mall was on the list for consideration.
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The sporting club’s new professional men’s soccer team is preparing for its first season game on March 7 at Hodges Stadium at UNF. It’s the same stadium where the women’s professional team plays its home games.
The women’s team currently sits at the top of the league and is led by teen sensation, Ashlyn Puerta, the leading scorer, Meg Hughes, Paige Kenton, who has six assists each, and goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks, who leads the league in shutouts.
The team is the first fully professional women’s team in Jacksonville’s history and joined the league last August. Tickets are also available for its next home game, on March 28.