Jacksonville officials may make another run at selling naming rights to the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, home of the Jacksonville Suns (Class AA; Southern League).
Now approaching a decade old, the Baseball Grounds has been some improvements in recent years, and the city wants to explore other revenue sources past rent to pay down debt. The city did explore naming rights in the past, but couldn’t pull the trigger on a deal when the ballpark opened. From WOKV:
“I’m not sure why we’re never done it in the past,” says Jacksonville’s Sports and Entertainment Executive Director Alan Verlander….
He says they don’t expect naming rights for the Arena or Grounds would amount to the same revenue as EverBank Field, but it could still provide a good supplement for any needs the complex may have.
The concerns about maintenance costs at the Arena and the Grounds were also lightened because of the substantial recent renovations and improvements those venues have recently seen. The City says those venues are basically “ahead of the curb”, and shouldn’t have any substantial needs in the near future where the bulk of this loan will be paid off.
The sport authority is shopping naming rights on its own for now; no talk of a consulting deal as of yet.
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