A day after Charlotte, N.C., officials approved the renovation of the Panthers' Bank of America Stadium, the Jacksonville (Fla.) City Council approved the even larger financial outlay to renovate the Jaguars' home venue — EverBank Stadium.
As reported by the Florida Times-Union, In a 14-1 vote Tuesday, the council approved the largest single spending development deal in Jacksonville's history at $775 million in stadium renovations and $56 million in an amended community benefits agreement.
"I've had some calls over the past couple days, and we are the envy of the sports industry today," Ron Salem, outgoing council president, said before the vote. "...We all worked together to make the process work."
The vote to agree to the funding and a 30-year lease with the team capped eight months of negotiations with the mayor’s office and three weeks of marathon City Council meetings, Hanna Holthaus of the Times-Union reported.
"When the Jaguars first disclosed its renovation plan last June, an internal memorandum showed a starting negotiation point where the city would foot 67 percent of the stadium renovation bill. The return would be in a surrounding “sports entertainment district” in which Shad Khan, the owner of the Jaguars, would pay 86% of the expenses," Hothaus wrote. "Instead, the city focused only on the renovation plans and said the entertainment district would be discussed at a later date. The accepted deal puts the city responsible for 55 percent of stadium costs, which includes maintenance funding prior to the start of construction but not the cost of outdoor work."
Related: Charlotte Approves $650M in Public Funds Toward Panthers' Stadium Renovation
In a statement, Jacksonville mayor Donna Deegan said, "This day has been a long time coming. I am truly grateful for the partnership with the Jaguars throughout the negotiation process, and to the City Council for passing this historic deal. Together, we are turning renderings into reality for the betterment of Jacksonville.
"The belief and determination of Delores and Wayne Weaver to make the Jacksonville Jaguars a reality more than 30 years ago was reaffirmed today by the leadership of Mayor Donna Deegan, her team and the Jacksonville City Council," added Jags owner Shad Khan. "The message then, and now, should be clear. Never doubt Jacksonville!"
According to Holthaus, the council conversation on how to fund the area surrounding the stadium is ongoing and will continue potentially through the next budget process. Still, the Jaguars investment is the largest in NFL history for a community benefits agreement.
Per Holthaus:
The Jaguars initially offered $100 million over the 30-year lease term and bumped its support to $150 million after the city proposed its own match to be distributed over two years. Deegan lauded the investment during town hall meetings educating the public on the deal last month, but members of City Council criticized the allocation before digging into her 2025-26 budget.
Council decided to split the city’s share of the funding: $56 million is included in the stadium legislation and will go toward the renovation of Riverfront Plaza, Metropolitan Park, Shipyards West Park and the Flex Field.
But, the remaining $96 million originally meant to address homelessness, affordable housing and the Eastside neighborhood will be further debated.
