JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jaguars and the city announced the name of the new multimillion-dollar sports complex under construction downtown.
It’s called the Miller Electric Center.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Miller Electric has been around since 1928 and has partnered with the Jags since the team came to the city, contributing to the stadium’s construction, locker room renovation, north deck expansion and Daily’s Place.
Henry Brown, the CEO of Miller Electric, said he felt like now is the time to be a bigger part of the development happening downtown.
“There really is so much momentum right now that in the past, there have been fits and starts, and it’s been interrupted by economic downturns, and I think now we have so much momentum. Nothing is going to stand in the way,” he said.
The construction of the facility has a price tag of $120 million, split between the Jags and the city.
Read: Jacksonville travelers react to lifting of negative COVID-19 test to enter United States
It will be the next big downtown development to open its doors ahead of the Jags’ 2023 season — but following shortly on its heels will be a new hotel.
The team made another announcement about the planned Four Seasons Hotel just down the street.
The Jaguars’ president Mark Lamping said they closed on the property for the hotel Friday.
“There’s some work the city has to do... on track for the end of 2025,” he said.
The development agreement plans for 176 hotel rooms, a six-story office building and 25 luxury condos.
Read: Average gas prices top $5 in parts of Florida
Lamping says construction fencing could go up this week and work could begin in the next 30 days.
All that’s missing is a very important deal signed with the hotelier.
“If it opens up something other than that, I’d expect you to call that out and point out I was wrong — but I’m not,” Lamping said.
Whether he’s wrong or not remains to be seen, but the project has solid backing.
Both the performance center and the hotel developments passed the council unanimously, even with the city on the hook for a total of more than $170 million.
The projects are much-needed wins for both the team and the city, after their failed “Lot-J” development plans and decades of uncertainty for the future of downtown development.
“We’ve got one thing in common. We all want to move Jax forward,” Jaguars owner Shad Khan said.
This browser does not support the video element.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.