JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It's the contract that caused a rift between with City and the Jaguars.
Two companies are vying for the right to run Jacksonville's entertainment facilities. SMG, the company which has run the facilities for nearly 20 years, has the support of the Jaguars and the Sharks.
But the other company, Global Spectrum, says maybe it's time for a change.
Controversy surfaced last month when the city's General Counsel sent Jaguars owner Shad Khan a letter saying it had violated its contract with the city by backing SMG. The city threatened to terminate the team's lease. In the end, the city called it a misunderstanding, and has since apologized.
But just because Shad Khan has spoken, doesn't mean the deal is done just yet. The proposals are in the city's hands. And Global Spectrum says it wants the job, too.
Todd Glickman, the Vice President of Development for Global Spectrum said, "Our ultimate parent company is Comcast NBC Universal. So, we really believe that we're very marketing and sales focused."
He said there's room for improvement here. "Our sense, is when we're looking at the complex here that it's really been under-served. And there's a great opportunity for more bookings of events."
Events like concerts at the Arena, and maybe even at EverBank. "And really working on the Prime Osborn Convention Center and the Times Union," said Glickman.
He knows SMG has some big backers, including the Jaguars and the Sharks. But he says politics shouldn't be involved in this process.
Action News asked him, "Do you guys feel like the underdog in this case?" Glickman replied, "No, not really." He went on to say, "What we ask is let the process run itself. And if we're lucky enough to be selected, we'd like an opportunity to sit down with the Jags and talk to them about Global Spectrum and the programs that we offer."
The amount of the deal isn't public record just yet. And according to SMG, the companies aren't supposed to talk about their proposals until it is. SMG spokesman Michael Munz issued this statement, "We believe that the proposals should be evaluated on the merits of the response and not as a result of a PR campaign. SMG has submitted a very competitive bid to manage the city's sports and entertainment facilities and it looks forward to the evaluation process continuing to ensure that the taxpayers receive the best value on their investments."
Action News also reached out to the City, which told us the way the process works is a committee reviews the proposals and makes a recommendation. Then the Mayor makes the final decision.
