Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown “supports the Jaguars’ proposal to have the city borrow $50 million to build the biggest and best video boards in the country above the end zones at EverBank Field,” according to Vito Stellino of the FLORIDA TIMES-UNION. But Brown said that the city “still must navigate the intricacies of borrowing in the bond market before it finalizes the deal.” The new video boards “would be 374 feet wide and 55 feet high.” Although Brown’s support “is a strong sign, approval by the 19-member City Council is also needed.” Jaguars President Mark Lamping said that he is “hopeful the project will be approved by June, with the goal of having the video boards installed by the start of the 2014 season.” The boards would be “bigger than the ones at the new Cowboys Stadium.” Brown and Lamping “stressed that the funding for the proposal would come from money generated by the stadium and not involve the city’s general funds.” Lamping said that the Jaguars “have their own five-year, $56 million plan for infrastructure improvements on the stadium that will be funded on a year-to-year basis.” He also “stressed that the new video boards will not only benefit the Jaguars but the Gator Bowl and the Georgia-Florida game -- and could help attract future events like a BCS national championship game” (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 4/14).
