The Jacksonville Jaguars made news with an audacious proposal to have the city pay more than a billion dollars to renovate the stadium and revive the district around it.
But during a radio interview, Mayor Donna Deegan suggested there will be amelioration between the proposal reported first by Florida Politics this summer and the final product, which she expects to be ready sometime early next year.
"We're only just now getting to the point where we're talking through revenue sources and what each of us may be responsible for. I really think that we have a great negotiating team in place, and I believe that the Jaguars are very open to working with us as well," Deegan said on WJCT's "First Coast Connect."
"I know a lot of people have said the Jaguars are going to say 'My way or the highway.' I really believe when we get to the end of this agreement, we are going to see a great community benefit in what we are doing with them. I believe we will get to that agreement," Deegan added. "Our hope is to get there at least in structure sometime in the Spring and I think we're on track to do that right now."
The Jaguars and the Shahid Khan vehicle "Iguana Investments" originally envisioned a total investment that could cost as much as $2.068 billion, a number that could include stadium improvements costing between $1.2 and $1.4 billion, as well as between $550 and $668 million for development of a "sports district." That sports district essentially could be a reboot of the Lot J concept rebuffed by the City Council earlier this decade.
The proposal contemplated a 50-50 cost share between the city and the team, with the city obligated to two-thirds of the stadium improvement costs.
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