The Jacksonville Jaguars' new stadium renovation plans were released last week to the oohs and ahhs of Jaguars and NFL fans alike.  The plans call for the current TIAA Bank Field structure to be renovated and built around, with an adjacent entertainment district to be included.  

The cost is anticipated to be somewhere between $1.75 and $2.068 billion for the entire project.  

However, the basis of the funds is what's going to be the key issue.  According to multiple reports, the City of Jacksonville would pick up the tab for half of the entire project, or $875 million to $1.034 billion.  That's a very high number, to state the obvious.

By way of comparison, Davidson County (Nashville) will pay just over a third for the new Titans' stadium and Erie County will pay just 17.8% ($250 million) of the $1.4 billion new stadium for the Bills.  Both proposals include sizeable amounts being funded by the state.  That's not happening in Florida, per Governor Ron DeSantis' standing policy on refusing to provide state funding for sports stadiums. 

That would leave the city holding a massive bill compared to the current standards for local entities.  And one that gives some citizens pause.  According to the Florida Times-Union, a recent poll showed 61% of respondents were opposed to public spending of up to $750 million, which is still nine figures less than the minimum projected bill the city would owe. 

That being said, per the Florida Times-Union, the Jaguars have provided 14 meetings from June 12 to June 22 to provide the public with the opportunity to provide input for the proposal: 

June 12 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Strings Sports Brewery 1850 North Main Street

June 13 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Ramada by Wyndham 3130 Hartley Rd.

June 14 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Jacksonville Golf & Country Club 3985 Hunt Club Rd

June 15 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Hyatt Place Jacksonville Airport 14565 Duval Rd

June 16 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Argyle Branch Library 7973 Old Middleburg Road S.

June 17 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Deerwood Country Club 10239 Golf Club Dr.

June 17 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Atlantic Beach Country Club 1600 Selva Marina Dr.

June 19 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Community First Igloo 3605 Philips Hwy.

June 19 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Fairfield Inn & Suites Jacksonville West 561 Chaffee Point Blvd.

June 20 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Grounds of Grace 1633 University Blvd N.

June 20 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Bradham and Brooks Branch Library 1755 Edgewood Ave W.

June 21 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Casa Marina Hotel & Restaurant 691 N 1st St.

June 21 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Charles Webb Wesconnett Regional Library 6887 103rd St.

June 22 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens 370 Zoo Pkwy.

As such, the opportunity is there for Jacksonville residents and Jaguars fans provide feedback directly to the franchise.  “We know what we want to build,” said Jaguars president Mark Lamping. “You saw it today and we have a good idea of what it’s going to cost. But we don’t know that’s what the city wants, and we don’t know that’s what the community wants.”

However, where the real feedback and debate will happen will be in the mayor's office and in the city council chamber. 

Featured image via Bob Self via Imagn Content Services, LLC