The Jacksonville Armada’s bid for a downtown soccer-specific stadium cleared one hurdle Tuesday, winning approval from the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee.
The Mayor’s Budget Review Committee approved a land-option agreement Tuesday with the Jacksonville Armada, bringing the club one step closer in its bid for a soccer-specific stadium downtown, according to WJCT News partner The Florida Times-Union.
The planned venue, to be built on land acquired from the city, would seat at least 2,500 fans, though Armada President Nathan Walter said in a statement that a maximum capacity of 10,000 would be considered.
The next step for the proposal will be the City Council.
That proposal calls for the city to execute an option agreement with RP Sports Investments, under Armada owner Robert Palmer, for 5 acres of vacant land less than a mile north of the sports complex.
If approved, RP Sports would pay the city $5,000 to enter the agreement, which confers the option to acquire the land — located along A. Philip Randolph Boulevard north of the expressway to the Mathews Bridge — for a nominal cost of $1.
The property is bounded by A. Philip Randolph Boulevard on the west, Grant Street on the north, Georgia Street on the east and Albert Street on the south, and currently contains Lots XX and Y for Jaguars games at TIAA Bank Field.
In addition to the stadium, the proposal also calls for RP Sports to construct commercial office space between 25,000 and 175,000 square feet, and between 100 and 200 parking spaces.
Multiple other conditions must be met before the deal can close. For more on that part of the story, see the expanded report at Jacksonville.com.
