An empty RV City means Jacksonville businesses feel economic impact after Georgia-Florida game heads to Atlanta – News4JAX

An empty RV City means Jacksonville businesses feel economic impact after Georgia-Florida game heads to Atlanta  News4JAX

For the first time in over 30 years, the Georgia-Florida game will be played somewhere other than Jacksonville. The reason for the move is the ongoing construction at EverBank stadium. Businesses are feeling the pinch with less visitors downtown, but Visit Jacksonville says they're working to bring more events throughout the year to offset the impact of the game moving locations. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the first time in more than 30 years, the Georgia-Florida game is not being played in Jacksonville this weekend, and local businesses are already feeling the impact. The annual rivalry game, which generated $45 million in total economic impact last year, including $26 million spent directly by visitors, has moved away for the next two years while EverBank Stadium undergoes construction.

The game is in Atlanta this year and Tampa in 2027 before returning to Jacksonville in 2028. The absence is visible outside EverBank Stadium, where RV City, a tailgating tradition tied to the game, sits empty. “It’s not just Mexican restaurants, it’s all the businesses around, bars, everybody’s affected,” said Juan Gomez, manager of Cinco De Mayo restaurant in downtown Jacksonville. Gomez said sales have been down this week, adding that neighboring businesses have reported the same slowdown. “They’re saying this is affecting a lot because they usually start seeing people coming from out