After $94 million in community benefits were set aside from the stadium deal between the city and Jacksonville Jaguars, a special City Council committee will evaluate and possibly amend those proposed benefits.
In a July 15 memo, Council President Randy White announced the formation of the Special Committee on the Community Benefits Agreement, which he assigned to “explore all available options” and “review and recommend any necessary amendments” to the carved-out portion of the “Stadium of the Future” deal.
“As President, I want to ensure these key investments will pay dividends over the decades to come and that all residents of Jacksonville are positively impacted,” White wrote in the memo.
White became Council president July 1, succeeding Ron Salem in the leadership role.
The committee will be chaired by Raul Arias, with Jimmy Peluso serving as vice chair. Members are Nick Howland, Will Lahnen, Ken Amaro and Tyrona Clark-Murray.
White’s action comes on the heels of Council’s June 25 approval of the stadium deal, which originally included a $300 million community benefits agreement split evenly between the city and the team. Of the city’s portion, $94 million was targeted for workforce development, homelessness services and affordable housing, with the remainder going to build riverfront parks and improve the stadium-adjacent flex field.
Of the $94 million, $30 million was dedicated to the Eastside neighborhood surrounding the stadium. The Eastside is part of Peluso’s Council District 7.
Council approved the $56 million for the parks and flex field as part of the stadium deal, but removed the other portion of the package to consider on a standalone basis amid concerns over how it would be spent and how it would affect the city budget amid such financial needs as building a new jail, paying off millions of dollars in completion grants for Downtown redevelopment projects and incentives for other economic development projects and a shortfall of projected property tax revenue.
Jaguars President Mark Lamping told Council members the team would stick to its original commitment to provide $100 million in community benefits, which alone is the largest community benefits agreement in NFL history, and would invest an additional $1 for every $3 from the city. The team would cap its additional funding at $50 million.
White asked the committee to report its findings and make final recommendations by Aug. 27.
Under a schedule he included in the memo, legislation for the stand-alone portion of the community benefits agreement would be filed July 17 and introduced at Council on July 23. The special committee will act as a standing committee and make “any necessary recommendations.”
White authorized the committee to seek advice from subject-matter experts and said it “should encourage maximum public participation in its work.” All Council members are invited to attend its meetings and offer recommendations.