New study shows Jaguars fans want stadium renovations

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CBS47 and FOX30 are your official Jaguars stations and Jaguars fans want to see some changes, mainly some shade at the Bank.

A new study with the team shows what people want out of the stadium, and 89 percent of those surveyed say they would support a renovation. A spokesperson told Action News Jax it’s an ongoing process and the next step is working with architect firms to get a concept idea of what can be done.

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“We go every season and when we go, it’s great, just not in the afternoon time,” Felix Santiago said.

In a plan for Stadium of the Future, 1st Downtown Jacksonville conducted a study with the Jaguars that started in 2020. The results show that 89 percent of people support the idea of a stadium renovation, with 81 percent of people saying having shade on all seats was important.

For the 78 percent of people who said they’ve bought at least one ticket to see a game in the last three years like Felix Santiago and his son Donovan, they want to be comfortable.

“Some type of shade, some type of support from the sun to get away,” he said.

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Any sort of renovation doesn’t come cheap. It’s unclear what the total cost of a potential project like this would be, but history shows the City of Jacksonville has helped pay for things like this such as the Jaguars’ new practice facility.

Action News Jax asked the City if they’d be involved in any sort of financial help if this comes to fruition, but we haven’t heard back by the time our story aired.

Santiago said that no matter how it’s done and whatever the cost may be, he’s willing to pay for extra amenities.

“I don’t see why not paying a little bit more for some shade, it would be comfortable,” he said.

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Nearly 6,000 people took the survey, many of whom are season ticket or former season ticket holders. For those who got rid of their season tickets, they cited the team’s performance and the stadium being too hot.

Jaguars fan Steve Shipman said it’s been a few years since he’s been to a game but said he would go back if he got more bang for his buck, including a roof overhead.

“This is Jacksonville, this is Florida. You’re going to be in that heat,” he said. “For us, as fans, to be sweating just as much as the players that’s putting in the work, that’s not good.”

An email sent to those who took the survey says survey organizers received input from the University of Florida, University of Georgia, and the Gator Bowl Committee.

Moving forward, it does say they want a comprehensive vision of the Stadium of the Future and said another step would be to get a construction cost estimate and develop a potential partnership structure with the City of Jacksonville.