JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The most controversial part of the stadium lease agreement between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the city is the $300 million Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) that would help developments outside the stadium.
The CBA is still shifting, and most of that money will more than likely not be in the lease agreement but will be taken up in the city’s upcoming budget.
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There will be another special city council meeting on Thursday to look at the agreement.
City Council President-Elect Randy White said at that time he will propose an amendment to the lease agreement that would use $55 million from the city for park improvements and take up the rest of the CBA this summer. White said some council members might have a conflict of interest.
“I didn’t think it was right that five or maybe as many as six would have to abstain from voting,” White said.
White’s amendment will have to be approved by the full council.
The mayor’s office had been pushing to keep all of the deal together, but Mayor Donna Deegan’s Chief of Staff Darnell Smith believes the new plan could work because they are keeping the parks in the deal and the other parts of the agreement will come up later, like improvements to the Eastside neighborhood.
“Our understanding is that there are no conflicts with the parks, and therefore they are prepared to move forward with the parks. We will continue discussions on the other two items, the Out East focus as well as our entire focus around county-wide items, but we have every intention of having every aspect of the CBA approved by the city council,” Smith said.
A final vote on the stadium deal is set for next Tuesday night.