A $245.3 million taxpayer funded incentive package for Jaguars owner Shad Khan’s proposed Lot J development failed to get the support it needed from the Jacksonville City Council during Tuesday night’s meeting.
Council members have been debating the deal for months and it looked like it was on track to pass, but the bill fell one vote short of the 13 vote supermajority it needed to pass.
Council President Tommy Hazouri, who was one of the seven who voted against the proposal Tuesday, blamed a lack of transparency by Mayor Lenny Curry’s administration in negotiating the deal with the Jaguars.
“You should learn by the JEA, you should learn by other issues, that you can’t do things in private,” he said. “That’s not public service and you’re not doing the right thing for the public as a result of that.”
Mayor Curry took to social media shortly after the vote, saying it sent a negative message about economic development in downtown Jacksonville.
2. This sends a clear and negative e message to economic development in our downtown and city. Again, it’s unfortunate but LOT J will not happen. I look forward to continue working on all the needs of our city for all of our citizens.
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) January 13, 2021
WJCT News partner the Jacksonville Daily Record reports that after the City Council vote, Jaguars president Mark Lamping told reporters that Lot J “is dead” and that the team would be moving on to its plans to develop Metropolitan Park and The Shipyards.
Jaguars President Mark Lamping told reporters after the meeting the Lot J “is dead” and the Jaguars will move on to its plans to develop Metropolitan Park and The Shipyards.
— Mike Mendenhall (@mimendenhall) January 13, 2021
Brendan Rivers can be reached at brivers@wjct.org, 904-358-6396 or on Twitter at @BrendanRivers.
