The results are complete from the survey the Jacksonville Jaguars sent out in April, which asked mostly season ticket holders to give them details on what they wanted to see during the team’s upcoming renovations. As expected, aside from a winning team, the number one request was shade. This comes as no surprise — the bulk of the Jags’ home games take place in the afternoon, when fans have to sit through notoriously sweltering Florida heat.
On Tuesday, 1stDownTown revealed the results of the survey, which was recorded through 5,842 responses. Of those who responded, 89% of fans said they would support renovations, and 81% said shade for every seat in the stadium was important. Additionally, those who responded believe that shade or a partial roof should be the most important addition that comes with the renovations. Most of the people interested in season tickets (77%) felt that shade was “very” or “extremely” important in their decision to attend games.
Airflow in the stadium was also something fans deemed as “very” or “extremely” important, and wider concourses were identified as an area of improvement.
Thank you to everyone who provided Stadium of the Future feedback! Our process kicked off in 2020 with @cityofjax & @haskellco. The results of the Stadium of the Future Market Feasibility Study are available: https://t.co/Td8LI2QNLj pic.twitter.com/pjno7EuCDh
— 1stDownTown (@1stdowntownjax) July 12, 2022
It’s been a little over two years since the Jags and the city first began conversations about renovations to the stadium, according to Jags president Mark Lamping. Lamping has also said the renovations are a requirement for the Jags if they want to extend their lease in Jacksonville, which goes through the 2029 season.
The Jags and Buffalo Bills are the only teams in the NFL to not have major renovations (defined as a project of $400 million or more) or a new stadium built since 1995. But the Bills and Buffalo recently agreed to have a new stadium built across the street from their current one, leaving Jacksonville as the last team in the aforementioned category.
The results of the survey appear to align with renovations other teams in similar climates have made. The Miami Dolphins are one example with renovations to Hard Rock Stadium, including rebuilt concourses, suite areas, and, most importantly, a partial roof. The cost was estimated between $400 million to $700 million. However, in April, Lamping said the Jags may look for a more “robust” shade solution than the Dolphins as the sun is still an issue to those who sit in certain parts of the stadium.
Last month, the Jags Wire also delved into renovations made to Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, which features a mechanical roof solution made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). That’s the same material the stadium has covering Daily’s Place and their indoor practice facility.
Ultimately, the cost of the roof was $150 million, but it was included in an overall renovation plan that totaled out at $550 million. When factoring in inflation, it’s hard to say whether the Jags would be looking at a similar cost.
While the fine details remain to be seen, fans are hopeful that their feedback counts as the Jags and city work together to iron out plans for renovations.
