Stadium of the Future
Home of the Jaguars
Envisioning a
Stadium of the Future
Creation of the Stadium of the Future is a critical component of downtown’s ongoing revitalization.
While a full renovation is still several years away, we know certain key elements — beginning with the creation of a sports performance center — will be necessary steps toward any comprehensive plan for the stadium.
Determining the long-term future of the stadium began with a comprehensive assessment of the existing facility to understand if renovation of the current facility is structurally possible. The Jaguars and City of Jacksonville worked together to engage Haskell to evaluate this. Fortunately, the assessment confirmed that we have the ability to renovate the existing stadium, which is the preferred path, since it is significantly less expensive than new, ground-up construction — especially as construction costs continue to escalate. In addition, once the renovation process is underway, the Jaguars will be able to reduce the capital improvements that are currently necessary to maintain the building’s condition as it operates today.
The evaluation also showed us some pretty significant opportunities for improvement, such as:
- Shade on all seats
- Wider concourses
- Increased space for football operations
- Better vertical transportation
- Replace HVAC, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical systems
Those changes will need to be incorporated into our vision for a world-class Stadium of the Future, which is complex and requires a multi-phased approach. Below are the necessary steps to reimagine the Home of the Jaguars:
Moving Forward
What Happens From Here?
Development of Current Facility Design Model
3D scanning tools, drones and laser scanning equipment will be used to develop a model for the Stadium, which will be used to plan and design facility improvements and modifications.
Photo Credit: Visit Jacksonville
Benchmarking Best Practices
During this phase, the needs of critical project stakeholders, such as the City of Jacksonville and our fans, will be considered to develop a comprehensive list of facility needs and expectations for the future. A critical element of this phase is visiting recently constructed or renovated stadiums to identify best practices and trends that enhance your safety and overall experience.
Photo Credit: Visit Jacksonville
Evaluation of Design Proposals & Selection of a Design Partner
To ensure a wide range of potential design concepts were considered, the Jaguars engaged eight leading sports architecture firms beginning in December 2021 to provide conceptual visions for the Stadium of the Future. We selected HOK as our design partner to help create the most innovative and thoughtful design concepts. HOK — a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm — did an exceptional job of studying the current state of EverBank Stadium and creating an innovative concept that we are confident will meet the needs of fans and other stakeholders while helping spur additional downtown revitalization efforts. Additionally, HOK’s process of developing construction drawings for the facility will help provide the basis for a rough estimate of the potential cost to deliver the design.
Photo Credit: Visit Jacksonville
Final Stadium Design Decision
Once the above phases are concluded, the relevant stakeholders will have obtained the necessary information to develop an effective and actionable plan to deliver the Stadium of the Future.
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