A public hearing will be scheduled June 17 on the proposed stadium deal between the city of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Jaguars, members of a Jacksonville City Council committee were told June 3.
On behalf of Council President Ron Salem, Council Director and Secretary Peggy Sidman presented a timeline that has legislation on the deal being introduced on June 11, followed by the public hearing at 5 p.m. June 17. Under the timeline, which was set by Salem, a final vote could occur in the last week of June.
Sidman presented the schedule to the Council Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee.
Michael Boylan, the committee’s chair, raised concerns about whether the council auditor’s office would have enough time to thoroughly vet the proposed deal under Salem’s timeline. He said that trying to approve the deal under “an arbitrary date set by the Council president” didn’t make sense to him.
“I would question the rationale of rushing this thing,” he said.
The proposed deal calls for the city and Jaguars to each put up $625 million for construction of the Jaguars’ “Stadium of the Future,” a revamp and upgrade of EverBank Stadium that would include a roof membrane protecting the seats from sun and rain, a new reflective exterior covering, new and wider concourses and additional fan amenities such as food and beverage options, bathrooms and elevators and escalators.
In addition, the city would contribute $150 million for deferred maintenance and capital improvements needed to prepare the stadium for the project and allow the Jaguars to use it during the construction process.
The deal comprises several separate agreements, including a 30-year lease, a development agreement and parking.
Another agreement calls for the city and team to each provide $150 million for community benefits, including workforce development and funds for affordable housing and homelessness services in the Eastside neighborhood and beyond.
On May 31, Council members and auditors received finalized versions of three agreements — the community benefits package, a nonrelocation agreement and a guarantee covering such issues as payment and interest.
Council auditor Phillip Peterson told the committee that the auditor’s office spent the weekend reviewing the three finalized agreements and had prepared questions to be delivered June 3 to Mayor Donna Deegan’s office and the Jaguars.
Peterson said the auditors would aim to meet the timeline, but would take the time needed to do a thorough examination. Boylan told him that “for my perspective, at least, the due diligence is more important than the timeliness.”
Salem has said that he hoped to have the agreement in place before his term as Council president ends at the end of June. On May 28, the Council elected Vice President Randy White as the next president.
The Jaguars are seeking finalization of the deal in time to present it at the NFL owners’ meeting in October. The owners’ approval is required for the stadium project to move forward.
On May 31, the team released a timeline that included a potential Council vote on June 25. The timeline showed construction beginning in February 2025, with the Jaguars playing in Jacksonville in 2025 with a 60,000-plus capacity and in 2026 with a reduced capacity of 43,500. The team would play away from Jacksonville in 2027, with the new stadium opening in 2028.