The Jaguars and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry "want to move forward with an ambitious makeover to EverBank Field that includes building an outdoor amphitheater next to the stadium -- and calls for City Hall to cover half" of the $90M cost, according to a front-page piece by Christopher Hong of the FLORIDA TIMES-UNION. The plan "calls for the city to spend" $45M in hotel bed tax money to "help build an amphitheater and indoor football practice facility outside the stadium and upgrade its luxury seating area." The City Council "must first approve the project." If it does, the Jaguars would "start construction" in early January '16. The proposal is the Jaguars’ "second request in as many years for the city to help pay for a major improvement to the stadium, which the city owns." The plan "envisions a transformation of the lot on the south end of the stadium that is known as the entertainment zone in an attempt to diversify the facility’s entertainment offerings and attract new events." Under the proposal, the city "would own the amphitheater," and a company owned by Jaguars Owner Shahid Khan "would occupy, manage and run the venue under a 30-year lease." The Jaguars "would pay the remaining" $45M. Jacksonville Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa said that the project "shouldn’t be seen as an indication the Jaguars have lost interest in developing the nearby Shipyards property" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 11/6).
