JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville city councilmembers are divided on millions of dollars for the community in the Stadium of the Future deal.
Some councilmembers believe the city’s contribution of $150 million toward community development and affordable housing is an opportunity to move the city forward, but others call it unnecessary.
The community benefits agreement part of the proposed stadium deal includes the city and the Jacksonville Jaguars each investing $150 million over 30 years into projects that are not the stadium.
The money would go toward community development, affordable housing and homelessness on the Eastside of town by the stadium; workforce development, affordable housing and homelessness countywide and city parks and youth sports programs.
But some city councilmembers are divided on whether the city should allot that much money to such projects. City Councilmember Rory Diamond called it “unregulated spending.”
“There's simply no way I can support a deal that includes $150 million of totally unnecessary spending," said Diamond. "There's just no reason for it so for me it's a non-starter.”
City Councilmember Matt Carlucci disagreed and argued taking the community benefit agreement out of the stadium deal means it would only benefit some people instead of the entire community.
“To take that out, we'd be missing a huge opportunity to do something really big for Jacksonville," Carlucci said. "And you know what, I'm for moving the needle forward.”
By the stadium out east, Suzanne Pickett, who lives there and is president of the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation, said the investment could create thriving businesses for the community and Jaguars fans on A. Philip Randolph Boulevard. She said there are five generations of families on the Eastside of Jacksonville.
“I love it, it’s exciting," she said. "The goal is to create a walkable, thriving neighborhood and we’re seeing that happen.”
Carlucci expects a bill on the stadium deal to be introduced to city council within the next month.