The Sports Complex area of Downtown doesn’t have much in the way of restaurants, retail or housing.
It has venues like Veterans Memorial Arena, the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville and EverBank Field.
It has potential for developments like the Shipyards. But for now, there’s not a lot to offer outside seeing a show or a game.
Yet, the $90 million proposal to add an amphitheater and indoor multiuse practice facility to EverBank Field has people like Jake Gordon thinking of the potential coming to bear.
“The stadium is right in the middle of everything,” said Gordon, the Downtown Vision Inc. CEO. “I think we have an opportunity to do some special things.”
He sees places like Los Angeles, Chicago and Pittsburgh as major league cities that use their sports complexes for more than just watching sports. They’ve incorporated music venues, housing, retail, restaurants and more to bring — and keep — people in the area.
City Council President Greg Anderson thinks the possible additions to the Sports Complex could spark more interest in “making a weekend out of Downtown.” He used the example of seeing a concert at one of the proposed venues on a Saturday, staying at a hotel and then Sunday heading to the stadium to see the Jaguars play.
And he thinks facilities like an amphitheater and multiuse venue have the ability to potentially spur more development — the hotels, restaurants and other amenities the area sorely lacks. There’s a void.
Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan is contributing half of $90 million for the latest EverBank Field improvements. The city would pay the other half through the bed tax.
Khan’s also in talks with the city about redeveloping the Shipyards, the riverfront tract of land across the street from the stadium.
Anderson said most ideas for that space have features that would attract visitors, like a hotel and retail.
The indoor practice facility was part of the concept Khan pitched in February, but that would now would shift to the stadium project.
Aundra Wallace, Downtown Investment Authority CEO, said Thursday the proposal “will be great for Downtown overall” and boost the Sports Complex, in particular. The spinoff, he said, will help The Elbow — a Downtown entertainment area — have more patrons and should attract more businesses to the area.
The addition of an amphitheater brings forth another question: What’s the future of Metropolitan Park?
Across the street from the amphitheater and practice facility, the longtime outdoor venue has sorely needed a refresh, said council Vice President Lori Boyer.
Anderson called the needs for the venue “significant” to maintain and flourish.
It also has restrictions. Only 12 ticketed events are allowed a year and some residents across the St. Johns River have issues with noise that travels across the waterway.
The new venues, Boyer said, might allow the city to do something else with Metropolitan Park.
Council member John Crescimbeni said he can see a role for both the new amphitheater and the park, but said that’s likely a conversation to have during talks about the EverBank Field improvements.
Anderson agreed.
“It’s something that will have to be discussed,” he said.
Those talks will happen in the coming weeks with a possible Dec. 8 final vote on the $90 million project.
Boyer said she’s OK if the improvements are financed through bed tax dollars.
“I’m not comfortable borrowing general fund dollars for something like this,” she said. “However, if the money is restricted and can only be used for the stadium and that’s their choice … then OK.”
Crescimbeni agrees with the sentiment. The $45 million the city plans to borrow will be paid back using dollars dedicated to tourism. It can’t be used on police officers, library books or overgrown ditches, he said.
And with Khan spending $45 million of his own money, Crescimbeni said he’s on board with leveraging city funds.
“Count me in,” he said.
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