Jacksonville Armada FC owner Robert Palmer says he is pursuing a new stadium for the club, but that finding land for the facility is a must.
For 2018, the Armada will compete in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) while the NASL suspends play for the season. As it did in 2017, the club will play home matches at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium.
Long term, the club is looking to construct a new stadium in Jacksonville. Indications are that elements relating to the design and financing are in place, but Palmer added that the search for a stadium site continues. He revealed details about his plan during an event on Tuesday. More from First Coast News:
Owner Robert Palmer made the announcement at the kickoff at the Armada Business Alliance. He said has both the funding and designs in place, they are just looking for a location to buy land….
“If there’s somewhere I can put this building to have a bigger impact on this community, if there’s somewhere I don’t know, that I’m not thinking about, that can have a serious impact on the Jacksonville market, I want to make sure we explore that before we break ground,” Palmer said. “If we can create more jobs in Jacksonville, well that’s exciting to me as well.”
Once they buy the land, he said the stadium plans to be called HomeValue.com stadium. Palmer currently owns HomeValue.com.
The Armada have been members of the NASL for the last several years, but that league’s future has been in question since the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) announced last September that it would not be granted Division II status for 2018. NASL owners sued and asked for an immediate injunction. That failed, and NASL appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, only for the appeal to fail. Recently, the league announced that it would cancel the 2018 season and that three remaining members–Jacksonville, Miami FC, and the New York Cosmos–would compete in the semi-pro NPSL.
Image courtesy Jacksonville Armada.