In the Jaguars' annual State of the Franchise address today, Jacksonville Jaguars Owner Shad Khan and President Mark Lamping unveiled designs and details for three projects planned for EverBank Field, as well as the team's 2016 ticket pricing plans. The EverBank Field improvements – a complete re-imagining of the US Assure Clubs, a covered Flex Field and an amphitheater – were approved unanimously by Jacksonville City Council on December 8.
The partnership between the City of Jacksonville and the Jaguars was created to enhance and grow a world-class venue for a wide variety of events, while positioning downtown Jacksonville as a popular destination.
"All of us are proud to take this opportunity to give our fans and partners a crystal clear look into where the Jacksonville Jaguars are as a franchise, and where we plan to be in the future. And we plan to be in Jacksonville," Khan said. "But, we don't want to be a franchise, on or off the field, that merely exists. We want to thrive and be respected. We shouldn't be satisfied with where the Jaguars are commonly associated as a member team of the NFL. We have a vision to share on how to get that done so that we have a franchise that is not only stable here in Jacksonville, but also promising."
"This project and these facilities will allow us all to imagine new possibilities for events and entertainment in downtown and in the Sports Complex area," Lamping said in presenting the details. "We want to attract fans of football, concerts, the arts and many other interests to a new entertainment venue that Jacksonville has not had before."
Improvement of the US Assure Clubs began earlier this month, and is expected to be completed this summer. The design includes the installation of a glass wall between the Upper and Lower Clubs and the stadium bowl on each side of the stadium, thereby opening up the Clubs to a view of the field, the world's largest video boards and the overall ambiance of an NFL game or other major sports or entertainment event. These improvements will also include technological and other upgrades that will enhance the multiuse capabilities of the Club spaces.
The improvements to the US Assure Clubs will include the installation of popular premium seating products—club tables and bar rails; distinct theming of each Club interior to reflect the demographics and tastes of fans; and upgraded premium padded seats for all club patrons.
The covered Flex Field, which will be located along Gator Bowl Boulevard at the south end of the stadium, is designed to serve multiple purposes. It will be a climate-controlled, covered pavilion with multi-use synthetic turf. Sliding "hangar" doors will allow the space to be used both in closed and open air formats. The facility will provide a venue for the football team to practice during inclement weather, and will also allow for additional fan entertainment events on Jaguars game days as well as year-round events for other special purposes.
The amphitheater is designed with 5,500 fixed seats and additional room for temporary seating. It will be located at the south end of the stadium, under a continuous roof that will cover both the amphitheater and the Flex Field. The goal for the overall project is to help bring more events and people to downtown, to improve the quality of life in Jacksonville, and to improve the experience around Jaguars game weekends and other events at EverBank Field. The creation of the amphitheater and Flex Field will attract more concerts, shows and events to Jacksonville, and the facility can also be used as part of events taking place inside EverBank Field.
In the Jaguars' ticket pricing plan for 2016, 5% of the seats in the stadium will decrease in price, 10% will be unchanged, and 46% will be unchanged if they are renewed before the early renewal deadline. Another 15%, all of which are located within the newly-improved and upgraded US Assure Clubs, will face an increased price although those prices will be reduced if they are renewed early.
The remaining 24% of the seats in the stadium that are receiving a price increase were not occupied by Season Ticket Members in 2015. The effective increase in average ticket price will be just 3.6%. Ticket renewal notices and details will be sent to Season Ticket Members next week. Season Ticket Members will receive Loyalty Reward Pricing if they renew their tickets by the early renewal date of February 29.
Media can go to http://populous.com/jacksonville/ to download renderings and video that were created by Populous and presented today, showing the US Assure Club remodeling and the amphitheater and Flex Field. These renderings and video are concept designs, and the design continues to be developed.
Fans who would like to see three-dimensional renderings of the new US Assure Clubs can go to www.jaguars.com/renderings.
