Construction Underway for EverBank Field Enhancements

Ground has been broken at EverBank Field in preparation for installation of the largest video boards of their kind in the world. This project also includes the construction of a new interactive fan area in the north end zone that will reflect the spirit of life in Jacksonville. This new fan amenity will feature 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 Jacksonville 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,” said Jaguars Owner Shahid Khan, “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 will now display approximately 55,000 feet of video boards, a 660% increase over last season’s 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.

“We owe our fans and this community nothing less than the best, and these enhancements will be the best,” said Jaguars President Mark Lamping. “These stadium upgrades will drastically change the in-stadium experience and create a truly unique environment that you cannot get at home. This will be an eye-opener and an attention-getter for Jacksonville.”

Hunt + Elkins, a joint venture, is the construction manager for the stadium project. Hunt Construction Group has previously built several sports facilities including Lucas Oil Stadium and University of Phoenix Stadium for football, and Marlins Park, Nationals Park, Busch Stadium and Citi Field for baseball.

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.

“Our company built the stadium for the City of Jacksonville at the inception of the Jaguars, opening in 1995,” said Sid Perkins, Vice President of Field Operations for Hunt Construction Group. “We look forward to another successful opening day and showcasing the skills of our very talented staff.”

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.

“We are honored to continue our long-standing relationship with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the City of Jacksonville,” said Mike Kempany, Daktronics sales representative on the project. “Their new game-day experience will be unrivaled as the Jaguars unveil new LED fascia displays throughout the stadium and two of the world’s largest high definition video displays. The Jaguars are proving their commitment to be on the leading edge of video technology and to the fans of Jacksonville. Daktronics is extremely proud of our ability to offer these high end systems which will set a new benchmark in professional sports.”

“These new cutting-edge video displays and related technological improvements will greatly elevate the fans’ visual immersion and will set the standard for in-venue experience,” said Christopher Holmes, AIA, LEED AP, Haskell’s Project Design Principal.

North end zone interactive fan area

At the north end of the stadium will be a large two-level deck featuring cabana-style seating areas, video screens, bars and two large spa-type wading pools and other water features. There will be sections dedicated to private functions as well as areas open to all fans in the seating bowl. Populous is responsible for the design of the north end zone area.

“As the designers of the original stadium and planned improvements over the years, our focus at Populous has always been on keeping EverBank Field looking to the future by creating an experience that will evolve with Jaguars fans. The north deck expansion is an important step in accomplishing this goal and will enhance game day for everyone from general fans to premium patrons,” said Dennis Wellner, Populous Senior Principal. “The experience for fans using the deck will be incomparable; they will have a variety of new offerings on game day that simply don’t exist in other NFL venues. As a firm, we’re appreciative of having a continued role, spanning more than two decades, in creating and exploring future fan amenities at EverBank Field.”

Permanent facilities in the deck area will include men’s and women’s restrooms, food service space and utility boxes for connection to portable amenities. The connections under construction will provide power, data, water and drains for portable bars and food service for fans.

In addition, sun shades, seating and other amenities will be provided. These provisions will be portable and removable for the installation of temporary seating for special events like the Florida-Georgia game, the Gator Bowl and concerts.

Video boards

The two massive end zone displays will each measure 60 feet high by 362 feet wide and feature 13mm HD pixel spacing. The video boards will be capable of showing any combination of live action, instant replays, vivid graphics, colorful animations, up-to-the-minute statistics, scoring information and sponsor advertisements. Below the north end zone display will be a display measuring nearly 10 feet high by 320 feet wide featuring the same 13mm HD pixel layout.

At the opposite end of the stadium will be two ribbon displays on both levels of fascia in the seating bowl below the south end zone main display. Each ribbon display will feature 15mm HD pixel spacing. The top display, measuring more than 3 feet high by 365 feet wide, is curved to appear the same length as the bottom display, which will measure more than 3 feet high by 295 feet wide.

Each side of the field will feature a ribbon display along the seating fascia, each measuring more than 3 feet high by 573 feet wide and featuring a 15mm HD pixel layout.

Four new displays will replace the existing displays in each corner of the stadium. These new displays will each measure approximately 18 feet high by 32 feet wide and feature a 15mm HD pixel spacing. Two additional displays will be installed above each tunnel at opposite corners of the stadium. These displays will each measure 6 feet high by 24 feet wide and will also feature a 15mm HD pixel layout.

All of these video and ribbon displays will provide the opportunity to present up-to-the-minute statistics, fantasy football updates, out of town scores and other game day information. All displays will incorporate excellent image clarity and contrast, and will provide multiple levels of protection from the elements. The wide angle viewing capability will provide fans with a clear view of the displays from any seat in the stadium.

Daktronics will also be including its powerful Show Control System with this installation. This industry-leading system provides a combination of display control software, world-class video processing, data integration and playback hardware that forms a user friendly production solution.

Steel structure

The new scoreboards will be constructed of structural steel framing with ribbed metal siding and a single ply roof over rigid insulation on metal roof deck. The bowl side of each structure will be the electronic video board. Each new section of scoreboard will be supported by triangular structural steel towers similar to the existing supports. The design will include the electrical service for the video board operation, lighting of the interior spaces and lighting for the signage to be provided on the back side of the scoreboards.

The installation includes power, cabling, sound and a new expanded state of the art scoreboard control room on the west side suite level of the stadium.

About Hunt + Elkins
Headquartered in Jacksonville since 1955, Elkins Constructors is a premier commercial contractor providing services throughout the Southeast. The company has completed more than $900 million in local projects including the iconic Jacksonville Main Library. The company is ranked in the Top 400 of National Contractors by Engineering News-Record and Top 100 National Green Contractors. Elkins has been a Jacksonville Jaguars season ticket holder since the team’s inception.

Hunt Construction Group is the leader in new sports facilities construction and renovation nationwide. Hunt has completed more major sport facilities renovations than any other company in the U.S. and is consistently ranked as one of the top sports and entertainment facilities contractors by Engineering News-Record.

About Haskell Architects and Engineers
Haskell Architects and Engineers, P.A., is providing architectural and engineering services for the EverBank scoreboard enhancement project. Haskell has teamed again with Bliss & Nyitray, Inc. of Coral Gables, Florida, the original structural engineer for the current scoreboard. Haskell served as construction manager in a joint venture with Hunt Construction Group (formerly Huber, Hunt & Nichols) on the 1994 renovation of the original Gator Bowl which was completed in a record 22 months. In 2003, Haskell along with Populous (formerly HOK Sport) performed design-build services on the Bud Zone and Terrace Suite renovations for the Jacksonville stadium. Haskell, one of the leading Design-Build, EPC and construction management organizations, offers client focused solutions in the industrial, commercial, government and civil infrastructure markets. Haskell provides planning, architectural, engineering, construction, systems integration and program management services with a history of delivering the right solution for every client for 48 years.

About Daktronics
Daktronics is recognized as the world’s leading provider of full-color LED video displays. Daktronics began manufacturing large screen, full-color, LED video displays in 1997. Since then, thousands of large screen video displays have been sold and installed around the world. Since 2001, independent market research conducted by iSuppli Corp. lists Daktronics as the world’s leading provider of large screen LED video displays. Daktronics has strong leadership positions in large screen video displays, electronic scoreboards, computer-programmable displays, digital billboards and control systems, serving as the world’s largest supplier. The company excels in the control of large display systems, including those that require integration of multiple complex displays showing real-time information, graphics, animation and video. Daktronics designs, manufactures, markets and services display systems for customers around the world, in sport, business and transportation applications.

About Populous
Since its inception in 1983, Populous has grown into the world’s leading design firm dedicated exclusively to creating environments that draw people and communities together for unforgettable experiences, from stadiums to ballparks and arenas. The firm has completed more than 2,000 projects around the globe with construction value exceeding $30 billion. Populous has worked with 30 NFL franchises, 130 universities, 40 convention center clients, 80 professional and civic arena clients, 24 Major League Baseball franchises, 40 global soccer and rugby teams, 30 equestrian clients and has planned more than 30 major worldwide events. At Populous, we enthusiastically embrace the expertise we claim – drawing people together around events, places, teams and ideas they
embrace and adore.

About the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of 32 member clubs of the National Football League, aligned in the South Division of the American Football Conference. Founded in 1993, they are entering their 20th season of play in 2014. The team is owned by Shahid Khan, who purchased the franchise in January of 2012.