Here's the thing though.... if they reduce the standard capacity for 60k and still want to get 77k in there for Florida-Georgia that likely won't work.....or the fan amenities for Jags Games would be great. If the standard capacity is 60k then:
- The Restrooms are designed around 60k
- Concessions are designed around 60k
- Concourses would be designed around 60k
Obviously, they'll have to meet fire code to allow 77k in the place but I'd love to see this design that allows for 17k Plus temporary seats. they could somehow build in retractable seats that turn into giant walls/billboards for Jags Games (that would really do something for airflow in the place).
Now from the article, I find this disingenuous:
"As part of that study, the Jaguars weighed the costs of renovating a stadium in which parts of the infrastructure date to 1928, the year it opened, against building a new facility from the ground up."
I'd love to know what item from the structure dates to 1928. When they rebuilt for the Jags in the 90's, they did leave one of the upper decks and the ramp structure attached to it, which dated to the early 80s (the other side didn't have an upper deck I believe). But everything else was literally dirt and built from scratch.
Side note...interesting about HOK: They had become the standard in stadium architecture at one point, then spun off the stadium business (HOK Sport) and rebranded it as Populous. Now they're back in the stadium game themselves and have some nice projects in their portfolio like M-B in Atlanta and the renovation of Miami's stadium.