LONDON, England — The NFL’s owners unanimously approved the Jacksonville Jaguars’ $1.4 billion “Stadium of the Future” renovations on Tuesday.
The approval by the owners of all 32 NFL teams comes after years of work and intense negotiations to reach an agreement between the City of Jacksonville and the Jaguars came to fruition in June.
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While things don’t feel great in London around the Jacksonville Jaguars 1-5 start to the season, it doesn’t change the momentous occasion that took place in Atlanta during the NFL owners meeting.
“It’s great to see the end of the journey,” Jaguars owner Shad Khan told Action Sports Jax this week. “I was at the joint stadium finance committee, 18 of the 32 owners were there along with the commissioner and many other people. You get a reaction, they get a reaction so I’m feeling very encouraged based on that.”
Khan released the following statement after the vote came down:
“Never doubt Jacksonville. That was my message in the summer to Mayor Deegan, the Jacksonville City Council and our residents, and I am humbled and grateful that my fellow NFL team owners agree. Today’s League approval of our Stadium of the Future plan means we will realize our vision for a reimagined home of the Jaguars in Downtown Jacksonville, scheduled to open in 2028. The venue will be world-class by every definition. It will impressively serve the Jaguars and their fans, attract major sports and entertainment events to our region, and serve as an economic catalyst for decades to come. It also means a new and vibrant Downtown Jacksonville that once may have seemed unimaginable will indeed come to life. I send my deepest appreciation to all who believed, and especially to everyone who did the hard work to make this happen. We have much more hard work ahead, but a lot to be proud of today. Celebrate!”
Mayor Donna Deegan is in London as well this week. The mayor and other city officials helped shape a deal that will keep the Jaguars in Jacksonville for another 30-year lease and this agreement also has a community benefits plan of $300 million.
“I feel very good about it,” said Mayor Donna Deegan Sunday to Action News Jax. “I was at a dinner with Shad Khan and Mark Lamping and they both feel very positive about it. Both are really excited about very forward officially and getting started on construction in the beginning of 2025.”
Deegan released the following statement after the vote:
“With today’s vote by the NFL, we are on the cusp of taking a huge leap forward and showing once again that Jacksonville is a can-do city. We will soon have a world-class stadium for our citizens to enjoy, and we are making historic investments that will transform our community, realize the dream of a vibrant downtown, and reinvigorate our riverfront. I’d like to express my profound thanks to the League, to Shad Khan, and to the entire Jaguars team. Together, we are creating a bright future for our city.”
Jaguars President Mark Lamping helped deliver this deal and partnership with the City of Jacksonville.
“I view Tuesday as the starting line to be quite honest with you,” Lamping said ahead of the NFL owners’ approval. “We were very fortunate to have a positive relationship with the city, our interests were aligned from the beginning and if we can continue that - there’s no reason to believe that we can’t over the next four years - I think we’ll deliver something the community will be very proud of.”
VIDEO: NFL approves Jaguars stadium renovations: 30 years of history and upgrades to come
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Khan and Lamping have been getting positive feedback on the nature of the partnership with the city and the actual construction of the stadium. It could be a blueprint for others to follow in future deals around the NFL.
Khan and Lamping were originally scheduled to attend the owners’ meetings in Atlanta, but remained in London instead upon the wishes of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The Jaguars contingent was told there was no need to fly nine hours back and forth to attend the meetings in person. Khan attended virtually.
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