The Jaguars’ political fortunes look far different today than they did in January, when the city council dealt a body blow to owner Shad Khan’s visions of redeveloping the neighborhood around TIAA Bank Field, which he has said is critical to the team’s sustainability.
On Tuesday, that same council voted to pay for half of the team’s proposed $120 million football operations facility. The W was not exactly a surprise, but the lack of opposition -- or even debate -- was very encouraging for team execs, particularly after the same council narrowly voted down a $245 million investment in the Jags' planned $450 million Lot J mixed use development with the help of surprise ’no” votes.
What’s changed? After the January defeat, the Jaguars and team president Mark Lamping retrenched. They listened to critics who said they had not been sufficiently proactive in explaining their vision for the stadium district and launched a series of community meetings. They also put the separate projects under a single brand, creating the "1stDowntownJacksonville" branding, which serves as a rallying point for supporters and a standing statement of principles.
Approving $60 million for a practice facility is no guarantee the council will also approve a $330 million phase one of the $515 million Shipyards project on the other side of the stadium when it comes up later this fall -- or a reworked Lot J project when it comes back again, or an eventual stadium renovation. But it’s a good indicator that Khan is more likely than not to ultimately get the taxpayer help he wants, barring a major change in the political winds.
For much more on the Jags’ grand turnaround plan on and off the field, read next Monday’s NFL season preview in SBJ.
