The Jacksonville Jaguars' "Stadium of the Future" is a go, as renovations to EverBank Stadium will be announced next week. Jacksonville City Council President Ron Salem announced that the franchise and Mayor Donna Deegan have reached a deal for stadium renovations (per First Coast News in Jacksonville), which are expected to cost about $1.4 billion.
The updated look of EverBank Stadium was revealed last summer, representing the next step in the team's efforts to transform downtown Jacksonville. The Jaguars plan to make the stadium four times as wide as the current one with interactive social areas and food local to the city. The stadium will include state of the art technology and a shade canopy to reduce heat retention by 70%.
As for other opportunities to improve the stadium? In announcing the stadium design last year, the franchise said the following changes will be made:
Shade on all seats A 360-degree concourseWider concourses Increased space for football operations Better vertical transportation Replace HVAC, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical systems
The Jaguars, rumored for years to be a potential relocation franchise to London, have plans to remain in Jacksonville for the long term. The franchise chose to renovate EverBank Stadium instead of building a new one once the organization concluded it was structurally possible. This redesign will also put Jacksonville in line to again host a Super Bowl, which the city hasn't done since Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.
The Jaguars constructed a state-of-the-art, 125,000-square-foot sports performance center as part of the team's renovation plan, which was unveiled during training camp last year. The new practice facility included locker rooms, team and positional meeting rooms, training and recovery areas, medical support facilities, weight room, dining facilities, office space and a draft room. Two full-size grass practice fields and a full-size indoor practice field are also set to be a part of the new training complex.
The renovated stadium will be the centerpiece of the Jaguars' facility reconstruction, showcasing the franchise's commitment to the city. Where Jacksonville will temporarily play while EverBank Stadium is being renovated remains a mystery, but that doesn't have to be resolved for a
