When people move to or visit Florida during the summer, one of the first surprises they experience is the nearly daily rainstorm. These storms can come out of no where, causing the local weather to interrupt whatever terrible day time television show you’re trying to watch. Right now, my iPhone weather app predicts storms every single day through the week coming off of a two-week storm stretch.
For the Jacksonville Jaguars, the storms have forced mini-camps and practices to inside the facilities of EverBank Field and the nearby Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. As a result, the Jaguars have decided to begin a building project on an indoor practice facility. The facility was spoken of in 2005 lead by former head coach Jack Del Rio, but never came to fruition.
With little detail available right now of where, when, and how the facility will be built, fans should still be excited about the project. The Jaguars are known for their amount of open practices, allowing fans to meet players and see progress throughout the season. With an indoor facility, fans will be able to escape the Florida sun and rain. Additionally, events will be able to be held on game day and offseason in a centralized location.
The price tag comes to about $10M, money the city was not willing to put up for a losing team. In order to get the project started, Owner Shad Khan pledged the Jaguars will pay for the building themselves. As the tarps have been taken off the additional seating at EverBank Field, making the stadium the 4th largest in the NFL, Khan expects fan attendance to go up with or without practice facilities.
Since the new building will not be ready for this season, or maybe even next season, improvements are being made to EverBank Field to enhance fan experience. Renovations to concessions will allow better food and colder beer. A new sound system will allow sound to come from all corners of the stadium. Another sign of commitment to the team is the renovation of the locker room. Plans include more wood, lockers able to dry shoes and pads, as well as more color and team spirit.
As the season inches closer, the Jaguars’ plans are starting to come together as tools are made available to the team. Of course, preseason will give us a true idea how the players are adjusting to Mike Mularkey’s offense, but at least they will have the best conditions to work it out.
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