Ground broken on video, fan area upgrades at Jaguars' EverBank Field
Ground has been broken at EverBank Field in preparation for installation of what the Jacksonville Jaguars are describing as the largest video boards of their kind in the world.
The project also includes the construction of a new interactive fan area in the north end zone featuring a flexible elevated plaza of approximately 42,000 square feet.
Project completion of the video boards and the fan area is expected in time for the first home game of the 2014 Jaguars preseason.
"As the construction takes shape we can all envision what an impact this will have on EverBank Field and the game day experience," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said, "and that was one of the reasons from the beginning for embarking on this ambitious project. We want EverBank Field to be a world-class destination, and we want to bring energy and attention to downtown Jacksonville. Our goal is to offer best-in-class amenities and the best in-stadium experience for our fans and for everyone who visits Jacksonville and EverBank Field."
With these video enhancements, EverBank Field, which opened in 1995, will now display approximately 55,000 feet of video boards, a 660 percent increase over last seasonâs 7,200 square feet, and the most offered by any NFL stadium. Fans can go to www.jaguars.com/livecam to follow real-time progress of the project.
Hunt + Elkins, a joint venture, is the construction manager for the stadium project. Hunt Construction Group has previously built several sports facilities including Marlins Park, Nationals Park, Busch Stadium and Citi Field for baseball, as well as the stadiums for the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals.
Elkins Constructors is a Jacksonville-based construction company, as is Haskell Architects and Engineers, P.A., which is the designer for the scoreboard construction. The Haskell Company will provide structural steel and steel installation services for the scoreboard and north end zone improvements.
Daktronics is creating the video boards, and Haskell is responsible for the project design. Daktronics is in the process of manufacturing the video displays. Each display boasts more than 21,700 square feet of active display area -- almost enough to cover the entire field of play when combined.
You can follow Ken Hornack on Twitter @HornackFSFla or email him at khornack32176@gmail.com.
