Attorneys for the Jacksonville Jaguars and a company owned by Shad Khan's daughter told a City Council committee this week that they do not want to pay higher property assessments tied to a proposed expansion of Downtown Vision Inc.'s business improvement district. Their objection nearly derailed the legislation before it even reached a vote.
Jaguars attorney Paul Harden and the team's Vice President of Real Estate and General Counsel, William Michaelis, argued that the assessments would amount to double taxation, since their organization already handles services like litter cleanup that Downtown Vision would otherwise charge for, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record. The pushback came during a Nov. 3 City Council committee meeting as officials weighed extending Downtown Vision's borders both east and west.
Shanna Collective, owned by Khan's daughter Shanna, has been managing design and development leadership for the Four Seasons hospitality property near EverBank Stadium, according to a company spokesperson cited by the Daily Record. Iguana Investments, another Khan-linked entity, led investment in that Four Seasons hotel and residences project, purchased the former Jacksonville fairgrounds site near the stadium, and owns the building housing Asado Life near the newly opened Met Park Marina.
What the Expanded District Would Cover
Downtown Vision's proposed expansion map would include Brooklyn, the Sports & Entertainment District and the Working Waterfront area east of EverBank Stadium, per the Daily Record's reporting. Florida Politics, in its own account of the committee meeting, described the bill as extending the district's reach to the Sports and Entertainment District, the Shipyards, and more of Brooklyn and LaVilla, according to Florida Politics. That outlet reported the bill would extend the district to the Downtown Community Redevelopment Area boundaries and levy a 1.1-mill special assessment on property inside it for tax years 2027 through 2037.
Downtown Vision Inc. is a 501(c)6 nonprofit business association and 501(c)3 charitable organization that the Jacksonville City Council established in 2000, the Daily Record's report notes. The group is funded primarily through a property-owner self-assessment, currently set at $1.10 for every $1,000 of assessed property value — a rate unchanged from what the Daily Record described in its coverage of the organization's last major boundary change.
Committee Votes Split as Opposition Nearly Stalled the Bill
The opposition from Harden and Michaelis nearly caused the legislation, filed as Ordinance 2026-0814, to be deferred altogether, per the same report. It ultimately survived two committee votes. The Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee approved the ordinance 5-2, with Chris Miller and Nick Howland voting against it, while the Finance Committee passed it 4-2, with Rory Diamond and Mike Gay dissenting.
Council member Joe Carlucci, who along with Jimmy Peluso represents Downtown, said passing the ordinance was only the first step in determining how far the business improvement district would ultimately expand. He also said the measure would not immediately impose fees on the Jaguars or anyone else within the proposed expansion area, the article states. A full City Council vote on the ordinance is scheduled for Nov. 10.
Next Steps for Property Owners
Once the ordinance passes, the city plans to send notices to property owners who would fall within the expanded business improvement district, and officials will discuss who ultimately gets included. EverBank Stadium itself is expected to become the Stadium of the Future once renovations are completed in 2028.
The current fight echoes a similar expansion the council approved in June 2021, when members voted 16-2 for Ordinance 2021-0292, growing the Downtown Vision district from 0.5 to 1.3 square miles.
Downtown Vision has pointed to the neighborhood's growth as justification for a larger footprint and bigger budget.
