JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville City Council approved $94 million of the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) on Tuesday after it was removed from the Jaguars 'Stadium of the Future' deal.
The vote was not unanimous, but it did receive overwhelming support.
The CBA passed with the support of 13 council members.
Council members Kevin Carrico and Ju'Coby Pittman abstained from the vote because they both run organizations that could potentially benefit from the CBA money. Council member Reggie Gaffney Jr. also abstained from voting, saying his father runs an organization that could benefit from the CBA money.
Council members Rory Diamond and Mike Gay were the only opposing votes.
The CBA will fund countywide initiatives like homelessness, workforce development and the city's Eastside.
The Eastside is City Council member Jimmy Peluso's district. He held a press conference before the city council meeting. Leaders of organizations on the Eastside joined him.
“Thank you for thinking of the people first, the people that we serve, and showing the people that we really do care about them,” said Suzanne Pickett, chief executive officer of the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation. “It’s after six decades of no investment into the east side neighborhood. Our goal is to use this as a model for all of our other neighborhoods who've been disinvested and marginalized in the neighborhoods ioun our community in Jacksonville.”
From the $94 million in the Community Benefits Agreement, the Eastside would receive $40 million over seven years. Over 15 years, $40 million would go toward countywide efforts like homelessness initiatives. Each of the city’s 14 city council districts would receive $1 million.
Eastside residents cheered after the proposal was approved.
"We feel so excited," said Dana Miller, an Eastside business owner. "We’re just grateful. It’s been a long time coming for OutEast and not just for OutEast, but the whole entire Jacksonville neighborhoods that have been left behind."
Peluso said next they will need to determine what vehicle will spend the money and where exactly it will go.
“I would be shocked if we didn’t put, at a minimum, $4 million over the next couple years into the east side,” Peluso said. “And I think it’s going to be more, actually.”
The Jaguars will match the city’s investment as part of the entire $300 million community benefits agreement. The Jaguars will have to bring the entirety of the stadium deal to NFL owners in October for final approval.
Mayor Donna Deegan issued the following statement after the passage of the CBA:
"Tonight we delivered for all of Jacksonville an investment that will transform our community for generations. Thank you to City Council President Randy White, the CBA Special Committee, our chief negotiator Mike Weinstein, Shad Khan, Mark Lamping, and the entire team that made this day possible.
We negotiated a historic $300 million community benefits agreement that would be split equally between the Jaguars and City of Jacksonville. I'm grateful that the City Council has approved this full investment.
The Eastside has increased support, and we will now have ongoing funding for critical workforce development, affordable housing, and homelessness programs. It is our goal to maximize the city's investment in the shortest amount of time possible to create the greatest impact for our residents.
The Stadium of the Future and community benefits agreement were introduced to the City Council less than four months ago. The boulder of progress moves quickly when we are all pushing it together."