Former Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver is supporting the proposed stadium deal between the team and the city, including a community benefits agreement.
In a statement released by the city on June 4, Weaver calls the stadium agreement “just as significant a leap forward for Jacksonville as the day we first landed the NFL franchise” in 1993.
Weaver, who co-owned the team with his wife, Delores Barr Weaver, before selling it to Shad Khan in 2011, said the $1.4 billion stadium renovation project would keep the Jaguars in Jacksonville “for generations to come” and would provide fans with more shade and improved food choices.
The proposed deal calls for the city and Jaguars to each contribute $625 million to turn EverBank Stadium into the team’s “Stadium of the Future.” The city would provide an additional $150 million for deferred maintenance and capital improvements to prepare the stadium for renovation and allow the Jaguars to play in it after construction begins.
In the statement, Weaver says the community benefits package is a vital part of the agreement and calls it “an outstanding investment in our long-term prosperity.”
Under the proposed community benefits agreement, the team and city would each contribute $150 million toward workforce development, affordable housing and homelessness services in the Eastside neighborhood and the community at large. A portion of the funding will also go toward developing riverfront parks.
Jacksonville City Council President Ron Salem says he will prioritize passage of other agreements in the stadium deal before turning to the community benefits package. Council member Rory Diamond has criticized the deal, and other members say they have questions about it.
Council is scheduled to hold a workshop on June 5 to hear presentations on various elements of the proposal. Salem has set a schedule in which legislation will be introduced to Council on June 11, a special Council meeting will be held June 17 to hear public comments on the deal and a Council vote will occur on June 25.
Weaver commended Khan and Mayor Donna Deegan for working out the agreement.
“It’s a huge step toward helping Jacksonville realize its full potential, and it will not raise taxes even one cent,” he says.