Jaguars Pick Cordish Companies for Multi-Billion Dollar Project

The master development plan, developed in partnership with Beyer Blinder Belle, would include entertainment, retail, office, hotels and luxury residential housing geared at bringing first-class amenities to the sports district.

A rendering of the multi-phased project that could total as much as 4.25 million square feet of mixed-use space.

JACKSONVILLE, FL—The Jacksonville Jaguars and Iguana Investments have selected Baltimore-based the Cordish Companies as the development partner for their proposed $2.5-billion mixed-use district near the National Football League franchise’s Everbank Stadium.

The announcement of Cordish’s hiring was made during the Jaguars annual State of the Franchise presentation last week where conceptual renderings of the new development were unveiled.

The multi-phased project could total as much as 4.25 million square feet of mixed-use space. The master development plan, developed in partnership with Beyer Blinder Belle, would include entertainment, retail, office, hotels and luxury residential housing geared at bringing first-class amenities to the sports district that includes EverBank Field, Daily’s Place, Veterans Memorial Arena and the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. The Lot J project site totals approximately eight acres, according to published reports.

“The Cordish Companies understand the challenges and, therefore, the opportunities in reimaging downtown districts and entertainment complexes throughout the country,” says Jaguars owner Shad Khan. “There are many qualities that make Cordish our choice in Jacksonville, but one in particular is the company’s ability to customize and tailor its approach to the property it will develop while being very mindful of the community it will serve.”

The Cordish Companies has extensive experience in sports-anchored, mixed-use developments and has partnered with a number of sports franchises and media companies on major projects including the St. Louis Cardinals, FOX Sports, Philadelphia Flyers, Comcast-Spectacor, NBC Sports, Professional Bull Riders, Sporting KC and most recently the Texas Rangers in the heart of the Arlington, TX entertainment district.

Commenting on Cordish’s selection in Jacksonville, Blake Cordish, VP of the Cordish Companies, states “We are committed to delivering a transformational world-class project that will create thousands of new jobs, attract millions of new visitors to the region, and play an important role in the revitalization of downtown Jacksonville.”

Iguana Investments, an affiliate of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is a special purpose entity selected to act as the master developer of the City of Jacksonville-owned riverfront property known as the Shipyards and Metropolitan Park properties. Iguana is a part of a multi-billion dollar international conglomerate led by Khan. Included in this conglomerate is the Jacksonville Jaguars. Also included in this conglomerate is Bold Events, operator of the amphitheater known as Daily’s Place.