Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said stadium talks are moving forward in 2024 and she believes a deal could be reached by the end of the Spring.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayor Donna Deegan provided an update on the upgrades planned for the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“It’s all going to come down to the dollars and cents, and how we separate those things out. We are in those discussions right now,” Deegan explained.
The Jags unveiled their ideas for the Stadium of the Future and development around the site in June 2023. The goal is to create more of a neighborhood atmosphere around the stadium, along with adding new features to the existing building.
The City of Jacksonville could end up investing $1 billion into the project, which is why Mayor Deegan said she does not want to drag out the negotiation process too long.
“If we look at the history of Jacksonville, and there are some of us who have been here an awful long time, what we’ve seen is, the longer these things drag out, normally the more expensive they get, and the more they go off the rails. And so I would really like to come to an agreement that everybody can feel good about that we can move forward with sooner rather than later,” Deegan said.
Mayor Deegan said they hope to have the framework of a deal ready by April or May. Her main focus is making sure the people living and working in the Eastside of the city will feel comfortable with the new developments.
“I’ve been trying to create a framework for what that community benefit programs is going to look like. That’s what frankly, I’m very, very excited about for what we may see as a benefit to to the neighbors on the eastside and others in Jacksonville as a part of this deal,” Deegan said.
Once a deal is reached, it will go before Jacksonville City Council and public hearings will take place for community input. Deegan believes that can be done by the summer.
