Jaguars' Shad Khan After Approved Stadium Deal: 'Never Doubt Jacksonville'

The Jacksonville City Council approved the stadium deal 14-1 on Tuesday night.

Mayor Donna Deegan and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan during an event in July 2023. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

After eight years of the Jacksonville Jaguars working toward a stadium renovation plan, their "Stadium of the Future" was approved on Tuesday night by the Jacksonville City Council in a 14-1 vote.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan reacted to the news with an emphatic message of support for the city council, the mayor and for the original Jaguars' owners.

"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," Khan said in a statement. The message then, and now, should be clear. Never doubt Jacksonville!"

According to 1st DownTown Jacksonville, a timeline for an approved stadium proposal is as follows:

• NFL owners vote: October 2024

• Construction begins: Feburary 2025. Jaguars would play 2025 season in Jacksonville with a capacity of 60,000+,

• Jaguars reduce capacity: For the 2026 season, the Jaguars would play the season in Jacksonville with a reduced capacity of 43,500.

• Jaguars play away from Jacksonville: For the 2027 season, the Jaguars would play their home schedule outside of Jacksonville for the first time in franchise history.

• Facility opens: August 2028.

The stadium project is estimated to cost $1.4 billion. The proposed deal includes a 30-year lease agreement with a Non-Relocation Agreement. Both the Jaguars and the City of Jacksonville will contribute $625 million to construction costs, with the Jaguars taking on any overrun costs.

"Mayor Donna Deegan, lead negotiator Mike Weinstein, and Jaguars President Mark Lamping jointly presented a landmark stadium renovation agreement at the Jacksonville City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 14," the City of Jacksonville said in a statement in May.

"Estimates suggest the economic impact of the renovated stadium to the Jacksonville community throughout the Jaguars’ 30-year lease will total $26 billion, with an estimated $2.4 billion in one-time economic impact during construction. This $1.4 billion deal compares favorably to other NFL markets. It is also the largest public infrastructure investment in Jacksonville history, and the largest private investment in the history of downtown Jacksonville."

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