Jaguars proprietor unveils plans to develop downtown Jacksonville – KIRO 7 Information Seattle

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – (AP) – The Jaguars revealed plans to develop downtown Jacksonville on Thursday, with team owner Shad Khan lending $ 60 million to an on-site performance center that was crucial in bringing new coach Urban Meyer to the NFL to trick into.

The first of two phases would break the ground by the end of the year and last four years, costing an estimated $ 441 million. The proposal has yet to be approved by an audit committee and the city council.

“Shad is making a big bet on our future,” said Jaguar President Mark Lamping. “So this is a big plan. Together we can do it. “

The first phase includes a Four Seasons Hotel and Residences that Khan would own near TIAA Bank Field, a $ 120 million soccer field adjacent to the stadium, a six-story office building that will house retailers, and the future location of the Operations for the team and renovations to a city-owned marina that will bring the neighboring shipyards to life.

The ambitious project also calls for the Jaguars to donate $ 4 million over 20 years to preserve the Metropolitan Park near the stadium.

The second construction phase includes an orthopedic sports medicine complex, street-level retail space and possibly a residential building.

The Jaguars expect the company to be a catalyst for downtown growth that could attract more people to the area to work and entertain.

“My goal is to make downtown Jacksonville the envy of cities here in the US and elsewhere, and I see no reason we can’t achieve that goal,” said Khan. “I am confident that we have the local leadership, spirit, and commitment to enliven downtown Jacksonville in ways that will make the world stand out while serving the needs of the community and the people who make Jacksonville theirs Make home. “

Khan has spent nearly a decade improving Jacksonville and its aging stadium. He financed the redesign of lockers, strength and training rooms as well as the cost sharing for the installation of oversized display boards and the construction of an indoor practice field and an adjoining amphitheater. He also led the drive to have stadium club sections overtaken.

Ultimately, he plans to deliver a “Stadium of the Future” in Jacksonville, which will mean a $ 500 million or more renovation that will likely include covered seating around the entire venue. He believes an upgrade is needed to increase local revenue and eventually eliminate the need to play in London annually.

The Jaguars are one of a handful of NFL teams who conduct all of their operations from their stadium. Meeting rooms and offices are all in the bowels of the nearly 30-year-old venue. It surprised Meyer, who had state-of-the-art facilities in Ohio State and was quite demanding for upgrades in Jacksonville before agreeing to take the job in January.

The Jags will rent the performance center, which is to open in summer 2023, on a long-term basis and assume all of the operating costs.

The 125,000-square-foot building will house changing rooms, meeting rooms, exercise and recreation areas, medical support facilities, a weight room, dining rooms, coach and scout offices, a design room and public meeting rooms. There will also be two practice fields and one indoor practice field.

Jacksonville’s current indoor practice field, completed in 2017, will be handed over to the city’s parks and leisure department for more than 300 days of programming.

___

More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in any way without permission.